On Friday, Under the Radar and Basic Black host Callie Crossley joined Boston Public Radio, where she reflected on a recent string of apologies from white entertainers who have incorporated blackface into their work. The list of entertainers included late night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, and “30 Rock” creator Tina Fey.
The conversation was spurred by a Boston Globe op-ed from columnist Renée Graham, who criticized the apologies as “reactive, not proactive."
The op-ed also referenced an interview that Fallon had with author Robin DiAngelo, who told the “Tonight Show” host that white people ought to stop using the phrase “I’m not racist,” saying “trust me — it’s not convincing to Black people.”
"And it’s not,” Crossley said.
Read More: Late-Night Talk Show Host Jimmy Kimmel Apologizes For Use Of Blackface
She added that she was frustrated with the “I didn’t know it was racist” excuse often used by celebrities who find themselves in hot water. "I believe that’s what Jimmy [Fallon] finally came around to. He had to face the audience and say, Here we are, in a place where it's really embarrassing and horrific for me to understand my part in perpetuating this systemic racism that we know about -- and this goes part and parcel with it.”
"I’m just always fascinated by why people are so interested in doing this,” she said. "What is the attraction of people who should know better?”
“We know what the minstrels were all about. ... They were about the business of humiliating Black folks, and they thought that, 'If I can make more money by doing that on a stage and wearing blackface, hey, that’s great.' But who are these people?” she asked.
"These are young people, these aren’t folks of minstrel age. What’s this about? I don’t get it.”
