Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, has generally enjoyed a positive reputation through his career, with many people looking up to him, not just in politics but in general.
However, a recent incident seems to have left quite the mark on his reputation, drawing a lot of negative attention to him and forcing him to come out with an apology to the public.
The photos and videos in question show Trudeau wearing brownface and a turban, apparently at a 2001 party and other instances. He was working as a teacher at a private school at the time of the incident.
And according to the politician, this was not even the first time he had used similar makeup.
The first revelation came out in an edition of Time magazine, which pointed out that Trudeau was 29 at the time the picture was taken, and it was apparently at an “Arabian Nights” event.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2oklHJnfx6/
Trudeau was trying to dress up as Aladdin, although he may have gone a bit too far with the makeup.
Not everyone has responded negatively to the released photo. Some have pointed out that the social climate was different almost two decades ago, and something like this was much more “acceptable.”
Especially because Trudeau was attending an event and nobody else seemed to mind at the time.
The liberal politician is running for reelection on October 21, and scandals have marred his cabinet in recent months. However, according to the polls, he was still favored to retain his post.
Only time will tell if Canadians will be willing to forgive him after the black and brown face scandal.
What I did was hurtful to people who live with intolerance and discrimination every day. I recognize that, and I take full responsibility for it. I know that I let a lot of people down with that choice, and I am deeply sorry. pic.twitter.com/gLetjs6xAa
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 19, 2019
As he tries to return to issues like a focus on seniors and a promise to ban assault weapons, one critic said: “The picture of the magazine is offensive and unacceptable. He does not deserve to be the leader of this country. He does not deserve to continue in the campaign as Prime Minister of Canada.”
A fan of American President Donald Trump also added: “You are in trouble, Justine!!! You had the nerve to call Trump a racist? He wasn’t the one painting his face black. BYE BYE!!”
This has drawn a lot of attention to the question of old photos surfacing and embarrassing prominent figures in their present careers.
Some have noted that people should try to distance themselves from these discussions, mainly due to the entirely different context than the original pictures usually tend to have.
