Yet another image of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in blackface at the 2001 Arabian Nights party – this time in color – has emerged just in time for the Canadian Federal Election.
The photo, released on Sunday by Canadian Proud, shows the liberal icon in a turban and robe, with his tongue sticking out. The world leader has also covered his face with dark makeup.
The latest insensitive image of the Canadian Prime Minister, who has a checkered history of blackface, has been slammed as a national embarrassment and Trudeau branded a ‘clown’ by many online.
Others were quick to point out that Trudeau was not a kid but was 29 and a teacher when he attended the Arabian Nights even in 2001.
Photos of the event first emerged in 2019 – prompting outrage and an apology from Trudeau – but this is the first time a color image from the party has been released.
The release of the never-before-seen picture was timed for the biggest impact on Trudeau who has gambled on an early election in a bid to win a majority of seats in Parliament. Voting begins today and the opposition has been relentless in accusing Trudeau of calling an unnecessary early vote during the pandemic – two years before the deadline – for his own personal ambition
Now his opponents are quick to point to the embarrassment Trudeau has caused to his country through his racist exploits.
One night before the Canadian Federal Election, a new photo has emerged of the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in blackface
In 2019, similar pictures from the same event emerged online, but this is the first time this particular image has been released
‘I knew, even as a kid, that this type of behaviour was wrong. So, he was either completely ignorant or simply did not care. Terrible,’ Twitter user Jason Rose wrote.
‘Canada about to become the laughing stock of the world by re-electing this Clown face. Can we be that stupid?!’ fellow Twitter user Henry Rasmussen added.
Many simply called for everyone to ‘vote him out’.
Yet many on the other side of the fence, appeared to be supporting the disgraced politician.
Several pointed out that the photo was 20 years old and that Trudeau had apologized when other images from the event emerged in 2019.
But conservatives were quick to point out hypocrisy, saying that liberals would be quick to ‘cancel’ anyone on the right for the same behavior.
Justin Trudeau is shown wearing an afro wig and dressed in black face to impersonate Jamaican singer Harry Belafonte to sing ‘Day-O’ at a talent show at his high school. He graduated in the early 90s
Several black and white images of the Arabian Nights party emerged in 2019, including this yearbook photo
An undated video shows Trudeau in blackface yet again, this time in a white t-shirt and what appears to be a wig
‘It’s equally weird seeing people apologize for blatant racism–especially people who would not allow the same tolerance to anyone else. For me, that sort of thing is a red line -regardless of affiliation,’ Dylan Barrons tweeted.
Another user added: ‘I am not a Conservative, but everyone time a Justin Trudeau photo of him wearing #blackface comes out, I just can’t understand how he was never held accountable by the party, party members and supporters.’
Trudeau has not yet commented on the latest picture.
But in September 2019, he apologized for wearing blackface at the Arabian Nights party and also referred to a high school incident where he dressed up as Harry Belafonte to sing the Jamaican song Day-O. A video also emerged around this time of Trudeau in blackface at a separate event.
Trudeau said his behavior had been ‘unacceptable’ and that he has enjoyed ‘layers of privilege’ in his life. He also said he took ‘full responsibility’ for the scandal.
He asked for forgiveness but would not confirm that those three incidents were the only times in his life he had worn blackface.
‘What I did hurt them, hurt people who shouldn’t have to face intolerance and bigotry because of their identity.
‘This is something that I deeply, deeply regret,’ Trudeau said.
‘Darkening your face, regardless of the context or the circumstances, is always unacceptable because of the racist history of blackface.
‘I should have understood that then and I never should have done it,’ he said.
Trudeau went on: ‘When we reflect on mistakes we made in the past, we’re always going to be asking why did we do that?
‘It wasn’t a good idea, it was a terrible idea. It was something that minimizes and takes advantage of a reality that I have not had to live with – of being discriminated against, being marginalized for the color of my skin.
‘I come from a place of privilege. I have to recognize that I let a lot of people down and I stand here today to reflect on that and ask for forgiveness.’
In the earliest photograph, Trudeau is dressed up as Jamaican singer Harry Belafonte to sing Day-O, a Jamaican song, at Jean Brebeuf High School at a talent show. He graduated from the school in the early 1990s.
The video, which is undated but was given to Global News, shows him with a black face and raising his arms and sticking his tongue out while dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans.
In a press conference held on his campaign plane, he acknowledged that the Arabian Nights photo was racist and said he should have known better.
‘I’m p***ed off at myself, I’m disappointed in myself,’ he said.
Trudeau admitted that while he did not think it was racist at the time, he knows now that it was. He had painted his arms and hands as well as his face
He also mentioned the high school photo before it emerged, saying: ‘When I was in high school I dressed up at a talent show and sang ‘Day-O’ with makeup on.’
Trudeau said the brownface photo was taken at an end of year gala where the theme was Arabian Nights and he dressed up in an Aladdin costume.
‘I should have known better then but I didn’t, and I am deeply sorry for it,’ he said.
‘I shouldn’t have done that. I take responsibility for it. It was a dumb thing to do.’
‘These are the situations I regret deeply,’ he said.
Trudeau said it was a racist act but he didn’t realize it at the time and that he knows better now.
He acknowledged that he had ‘always been more enthusiastic about costumes than is sometimes appropriate’.
Trudeau was impersonating singer Harry Belafonte in the high school performance. Belafonte, dubbed the King of Calypso, is shown, left, in 1954, two years before he released Day-O, and right, in 2006
Trudeau acknowledged that he had ‘always been more enthusiastic about costumes than is sometimes appropriate’. He is pictured with his wife Sophie during a trip to India in 2018
He worked at the private school before entering politics and at the same time his father Pierre Trudeau was Canada’s Prime Minister.
Trudeau taught French, among other classes, when he was a teacher at the private school where tuition is about $23,000 a year.
He left his teaching position there after spring in 2001.
Trudeau, who has been in power since 2015, is facing a tough re-election battle.
Not so innocent after all: A complete timeline of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s scandals, from ethics investigations to blackface
The Aga Khan – December 2017
Canada’s Prime Minister first found himself in hot water with the ethics commissioner when it was discovered he’d broken conflict of interest rules by vacationing at the Aga Khan’s private island during Christmas in 2017.
The Aga Khan’s foundation is registered to lobby the government. In addition, Trudeau also traveled in the Aga Khan’s private helicopter.
Playing dress up in India – February 2018
While this is not an ethics scandal, Trudeau found himself being mocked after he proudly dressed in various local costumes during a trip to India in February of 2018.
Also during the trip, Trudeau’s wife, Sophie, was photographed with a man named Jaspal Atwal at a reception in Mumbai.
In 1986, Atwal was convicted of the attempted murder of an Indian politician, which led many to question why he was at the reception in the first place.
Alleged groping incident – 2018
In 2018, news emerged that Trudeau allegedly ‘groped’ a young woman at a music festival in British Columbia 18 years ago. When a reporter brought up the allegations at a steel and aluminum workers at Regina in western Canada, Trudeau said he did not recall the event.
‘I remember that day in Creston well. It was an Avalanche Foundation event to support avalanche safety. I had a good day that day. I don’t remember any negative interactions that day at all,’ Trudeau, who has a ‘no tolerance’ for sexual harassment, told reporters.
Trudeau later apologized to the woman in question ‘in the moment,’ despite commenting that he was confident he ‘did not act inappropriately.
‘But I respect the fact that someone else might have experienced this differently,’ he added. Trudeau also suspended two male members of parliament in 2014, who were accused of sexual harassment by two female members of parliament.
Blackface – 2019
In September 2019, photos emerged of Trudeau wearing blackface at the Arabian Nights party in 2001 and also referred to a high school incident where he dressed up as Harry Belafonte to sing the Jamaican song Day-O. A video also emerged around this time of Trudeau in blackface at a separate event.
Trudeau said his behavior had been ‘unacceptable’ and that he has enjoyed ‘layers of privilege’ in his life. He also said he took ‘full responsibility’ for the scandal.
‘It was something that I didn’t think was racist at the time, but now I recognize it was something racist to do and I am deeply sorry,’ Trudeau said at the time.
WE Charity scandal – June 2020
In June 2020, the Canadian government announced the WE Charity would run a new grant program for students hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It later emerged that Trudeau had personal connections to WE and was involved in the decision-making process, without recusing himself.
Initially, WE denied allegations they paid Trudeau’s mother, Margaret, his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau or his brother, Alexandre.
It was later discovered Margaret had been paid $250,000 for speaking at 28 events, and Alexandre received $32,000 for speaking at eight events.