Mother sparks race row after sharing picture of her partner ‘blacked up’

A mother was today accused of racism after sharing a photograph of her family on Facebook featuring her partner in blackface next to their two mixed race children.

Sian Bannister, 30, of Bristol, posted the picture of the family including her partner David-Jon Norman while they were at a five-star hotel in Newport, South Wales.

Mr Norman was pictured wearing a dreadlocks wig with brown paint on his face in the image taken at the Celtic Manor Resort, captioned: ‘Annual family photo’.

But the picture of the family caused a huge backlash and was shared or commented on nearly 20,000 times when it was reposted by artist Ace Brown yesterday.

The rapper said Miss Bannister should ‘be ashamed of yourself’ and said her partner was ‘taking the p*** – if not direct to the boys, but to their father’s heritage’.

However, the mother insisted she did not think it was offensive, adding: ‘Would I be offended seeing a black person dressed up as a white person… hell, no!’

She added that she has since faced hundreds of threats and racist abuse, with some people even claiming that she and Mr Norman inappropriately touch their children. 

Yesterday, Ace Brown, real name Ashley Brown, wrote on Facebook: ‘I’m sharing this post to show this woman how offensive and disrespectful it is to her own children.

Mr Bannister posted the photograph to Facebook, with the caption: ‘Annual family photo’

‘Please tell me how this is funny, Sian Bannister? You should be ashamed of yourself – take it from someone who’s mixed raced. In this picture your partner is taking the p*** – if not direct to the boys, but to their father’s heritage. 

‘I’ve just released a track for people like you. I want to add you might love them boys with all your heart but this picture is very disrespectful in my view – and the more people like me ignore people like you, the more it happens #Stopracism.’  

After the post gained traction on social media, Miss Bannister responded with another since-deleted post saying: ‘I actually cannot believe what’s going on.

‘Loads of shared overnight and loads of threats. WTF. My kids should be taken away from me etc! Would I be offended seeing a black person dressed up as a white person… hell, no! So did I think it offensive the other way round… hell, no!

‘Admittedly I was ignorant not taking the ‘history’ of the black face into consideration, which was so far from my mind.’

She also later wrote a further post on Mr Norman’s profile, saying her world had now been ‘turned upside down’ and her children were in ‘immediate danger’.

She added: ‘Dave put the Rastafarian hat on and it was my son who asked him to paint his face brown – is he racist? Complete innocence, a family laugh.

The photograph was taken at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales

‘Sorry but I (stupidly) put that photo up not considering for one minute the way it could be portrayed by a wider audience.

‘As two white parents with two mixed race boys we have been subject to comments in the past – from black and white people – when I’ve referred to us as a family.

‘This was a middle finger to them. Meant for my friends list eyes’ only – not the whole world! It was in no way intentionally making a mockery of my children’s heritage and was not meant to be symbolising black face as it stands in history.’

She continued: ‘There wasn’t an ounce of racism meant by that post – I’ve apologised profusely for my ignorance and naivety and to the people that have really taken offence, but this had been made to be something it really isn’t by people that know nothing about me, my partner or my children.’