Toronto Liberal candidate apologizes for ‘insensitive’ blackface comments

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TORONTO (680 NEWS) – Toronto Liberal candidate Judy Sgro has apologized for “insensitive” comments made about black people liking Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau more after pictures surfaced of him in brown and blackface.

In the interview for online broadcaster GBKM FM, Jacqueline Dixon asked the longtime MP what sort of reaction she had received in the federal riding of Humber River-Black Creek surrounding Trudeau’s “blackface” incident.

Sgro defended the leader for “something that was done 20 years ago,” adding that everyone, at one time or another, has “made poor choices.”

“In knocking on doors and talking to people to make sure that I’m as sensitive as I need to be if I’ve missed something, those in the black community have told me how much more love they have for the prime minister, that he wanted to have a blackface, that he took great pride in that too,” said Sgro.

Sgro added that it’s the media that have “blown this into something that it shouldn’t be.”

The interview happened Sept. 28 but only came to light when Toronto-based writer Andray Domise posted the comments on social media Wednesday.

Sgro issued a brief statement, in which she apologized for her “insensitive” comments.

“I should have known better,” she said. “The history of blackface is deeply racist and it is nothing other than discriminatory. This issue has sparked an important conversation in our country and needs to be treated with great seriousness and sensitivity. I will continue to have these important conversations with my constituents.”

Last month, Time magazine published a photo of Trudeau in dark makeup at a 2001 “Arabian Nights” party organized by West Point Grey Academy, the Vancouver private school where he was a teacher. The photo was in the school yearbook.

Two more instances of Trudeau wearing blackface emerged shortly after.

The Liberal leader has apologized for the costumes and makeup, which he says he now understands to be racist.

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