MONROE, Conn — We are days away from elections, and there's a controversy brewing in Monroe as photos resurface of one Board of Education candidate, Justin Orlando, dressed in Blackface for a Halloween costume.
FOX61 spoke with both Republicans and Democrats about the issues.
The photos of Orlando, dressed in Blackface, are unsettling to some. Still, Orlando stands by his 2018 Halloween Costume, saying it's the Democratic party who is racializing it.
Board of Education Member Nicholas Kapoor first noticed the photos a few months back. However, he said his actions do not adequately show the cultural awareness required to be on a Board of Education.
Kapoor said there's no excuse for his actions, especially for a political candidate, and it's vital that Orlando is held accountable.
"I think being on the Board of Education requires members to be able to be empathetic to all of our community and be able to represent everyone," explained Kapoor. "Including our Black and brown students, our LGBTQIA + students, our Latinx students, all of our students," Kapoor explained.
Orlando released a statement justifying his action, which states in part, "To me, there is nothing racial about it…I dressed up as a favorite character of mine from one of my favorite tv shows and, in doing so, was demonstrating respect for that character. Not once did I view it as a racial decision…but they have all deemed it as such. Not because they know me or have ever reached out to me to discuss any of these issues, but because they choose to racialize this issue to better their chances at this election."
Kapoor said there's no excuse for his actions, especially for a political candidate, and it's vital that Orlando is held accountable.
"Mr. Orlando, dressed in Blackface, the fact that he can't acknowledge that or even attempt to apologize for shows his true colors," passionately explained Kapoor. "We continue to call on him to withdraw from the election. We believe that this incident is disqualifying to sit on a Board of Education."
The Monroe Republican Town Committee released a statement, standing by Orlando's actions, which said in part—"After speaking with Mr. Orlando and reviewing his statement, it is clear that his intent was to portray a TV character that he admired, and nothing more."
Don C. Sawyer III, Vice President for Equity, Inclusion, and Leadership Development at Quinnipiac University, said people must understand intent versus impact, especially in racial situations.
"If someone comes to you and say that this is offensive, and here's why it's important to understand and take that," explained Sawyer. "But part of it is understanding history."
Sawyer said understanding the historical context of Blackface is essential.
"It was tied to racism; it was tied to the historical misrepresentation of what they felt Black people were," explained Sawyer. "You know, over-exaggerated features and painting on big red lips, or darkening their face with different types of either burnt cork or face paint."
The Monroe Republican Town Committee said in its statement, "The Monroe RTC unanimously agrees that any racism or cultural appropriation is unacceptable. If Mr. Orlando did offend anyone by his choice in costume from 2018, it was unintentional, and he regrets that it offended anyone."
CLICK HERE for Full statements from Monroe Republican Town Committee and Justin Orlando.
Raquel Harrington is the race and culture reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at rharrington@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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