The NAACP has issued a complaint against a Virginia sheriff’s deputy who works in the school system after she donned blackface and dressed up as Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) to accompany her boyfriend, who was dressed up as Donald Trump, to a Halloween party.
I know—there is so much wrong with that previous sentence, but as a rule of thumb, any explanation of an incident that falls under the category of the phenomenon known as “white-people shit” requires a complex sentence. (Dammit, I did it again!)
There are only two reasons that white people continue to wear blackface, leave their homes, go to public gatherings, pose for pictures and allow those pictures to be posted on the internet:
- Whiteness is a mental illness whose symptoms are ignorance, apathy, hate and not giving a fuck.
- They don’t understand the plethora of literature, think pieces, warnings and news reports chastising white people for wearing blackface because they don’t read well.
So let’s try again, this time using simpler sentences.
According to the Daily Press, Jean Browning is white. Jean Browning works for the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Department in Virginia. The sheriff’s department pays Browning to work in the school system as a D.A.R.E. officer.
Jean Browning decided to attend a party with her boyfriend. Jean Browning’s boyfriend dressed up as Trump. Jean Browning thought that it would be a good idea to dress up as Wilson. Jean Browning apparently thought that the costume wouldn’t look right unless she also incorporated blackface as part of her getup.
Jean Browning is stupid as fuck.
The York-James City-Williamsburg Branch of the NAACP found out about Browning’s costume. After probably saying “What the fuck?” the YJCW NAACP filed a complaint with the sheriff’s department. The YJCW NAACP said that it found Browning’s costume offensive.
York-Poquoson Sheriff J.D. Diggs didn’t agree. He held a press conference. He did not fire Browning. He did not even suspend Browning. He reassigned her. Browning will no longer be working with the school system. Browning was reassigned to the court system.
“The combined intent of the couple was to portray how funny it would be for two political figures who were at odds with each other to go to a party together,” Diggs said in a statement. Diggs added that the costumes were not intended to mock Wilson and that Browning is remorseful. He said that Browning might take some sensitivity training. Diggs also said that she might need “a conversation.”
Diggs did not specify what Browning is remorseful for if neither he nor she found anything wrong with the racist garb. White people do that sometimes. They apologize, but not really. They don’t have the gene that makes them feel sorry for things. Don’t judge them. It’s part of their illness.
The local NAACP is not satisfied. I feel that they are judging Browning for her mental illness. Maybe Diggs caught it, too. Whiteness can be contagious. The YJCW NAACP probably needs sensitivity training. Or maybe a conversation.
Thoughts and prayers for Jean Browning. Get well soon.
The end.
Read more at the Daily Press.