Trudeau and Singh have private conversation about blackface scandal

VANCOUVER – Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh have had a conversation about Trudeau’s history of donning blackface and brownface.

Both camps say the Liberal leader and NDP leader spoke this evening by phone.

Neither is saying just what was said, which is one of the terms Singh set.

Trudeau has said he wanted to talk to the first visible-minority leader of a federal Canadian party about the times when, as a youth and young teacher, he darkened his skin for various costume events and performances.

Trudeau says he now realizes that donning blackface and brownface is racist and hurtful, part of a long tradition of mocking racialized people.

Singh had said he was willing to talk to Trudeau about it, but didn’t want to be part of an attempt to repair Trudeau’s image for political reasons.