Two Arizona School "Diversity Leaders" Accuse a School of Hiring a DJ Who Wore Blackface

The man they accused of wearing blackface, without doing any investigation whatsoever, pled innocent to the charges.

He says he was not wearing blackface.

He says, in fact, that he's black.

And not Shaun King "black." But actually black.

By the way, Deb Heine just told me a new nickname for Shaun King: Martin Luther Cream.

Two Arizona diversity in education advocates falsely accused a Black man who was hired as a DJ at a school fundraiser of wearing blackface.

"They thought that the DJ there or the person there was in a black face, and the person that they thought was in black face was me," DJ Kim Koko Hunter said in a Facebook Live video April 12.

...

But two diversity advocates who have volunteered for committees connected to the Scottsdale Unified School District, Stuart Rhoden and Jill Lassen, accused Hunter of wearing blackface after seeing a photo of him at the Disco-themed event, according to the Arizona Daily Independent.

Lassen, a self-described ​​"ardent community volunteer, activist, and ally to the LGBTQ+ community" who co-chairs the Scottsdale Parent Council's diversity, equity and inclusion committee, sent an email to the PTA accusing them of promoting racism, according to the Arizona Daily Independent.

Megan Livengood, head of the Hopi PTA, responded to the message that Hunter is in fact a Black man.

"The DJ that the Hopi PTA hire[d] was, in fact a Black man," Livengood wrote according to correspondence obtained by the Arizona Daily Independent. "It is insulting that you feel myself or PTA condone racist behavior or encourage it by posting on social media."

Lassen apologized following the PTA chief's email.

"You are right, we should've reached out and inquired before making such accusations. I cannot fathom the hurt, anger and frustration you felt after you and others volunteered countless hours on your event. Again I truly apologize," she wrote, according to the correspondence.

Rhoden, on the other hand, was not quite satisfied. While conceding that maybe Hunter was black, he still accused him of wearing blackface nevertheless -- of wearing blackface over his naturally brown skin. Of culturally-appropriating darker skin, I guess.

That's how far these race-hustler grifters will go to avoid backing down from an accusation.

...

"Let me be clear, a Black man, apparently in Black face is an entirely different discussion than a White person. However I did not state that the person was White. It was assumed that was my intent, and perhaps it was, but nonetheless, looking on his FB page (photos below), it seems at the very least he is in darker make-up if not 'Black face' or I am completely mistaken and it's the lighting of the patio," he wrote on Facebook April 12.

"I apologize to dude for the implication, but the sentiment still stands, Black face by anyone, in this day and age is problematic. I also apologize to folks who reposted and made other statements based on my assumption," he continued.

It would have taken literally 20 seconds of "research" to find out the man's race -- every single DJ, of course, has a website, so that people can find them and contact them to hire them.

But you just lobbed a baseless accusation -- because that's all you can do. That's the only "service" you provide, baseless accusations and social terror.

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A petition is now circulating to remove Lassen and Rhoden from the Scottsdale Parent Council and do away with the equity, diversity and inclusion committee.

"The division being caused Is quite disturbing, in a time when unity is imperative and desperately sought after. Anything other than removal of these members will be seen as tacit complacency by anyone who is paying attention," the petition states.

"The SPC is so intent on finding racism they will go so far as to accuse a member of one of the communities they claim to advocate for of reprehensible behavior. SPC invoices every Scottsdale Unified School District PTO/PTA/APT for dues each year and then uses those funds to attack community members," said Scottsdale Unified School District parents and public school activist, Amanda Wray, according to the Arizona Daily Independent.

Let it be so.

Via Via SCReviews, who's worth listening to about this because he giggles about it so much. He made the excellent point that literally every DJ on earth has a website with a dozen photos of himself on it.

posted by Ace at 04:05 PM

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