Outrage erupted online after a white Burger King employee in Minnesota was seen wearing blackface while working on Halloween.
A black woman shared a video of the incident on her Facebook account, Chevy Vs Man-Man. In the footage, she confronted the employee, expressing her belief that wearing blackface was wrong and racist. She also addressed the incident in the caption, writing, “Yall taking this HALLOWEEN [expletive] TO FAR NOW. Go wipe that [expletive] off yo face BECKY BEFORE MY BLK [expletive] GET MAD.”
In the video, the woman filmed the employee through the drive-thru window while sitting in her car. The employee was visibly wearing blackface. The woman said she had asked the employee why she was wearing it and invited her to repeat what she had told her. “I’m just black today,” the employee replied to the camera.
The employee then recalled being asked whether she thought her appearance was appropriate and proceeded to defend her actions. “As long as you have a good heart,” she said. The woman followed up by asking whether her intentions were good, prompting the employee to nod.
The black woman then asked the employee whether Black lives mattered. However, the employee responded, “Well, no, I just want to be black.” The woman continued questioning her, asking why she would want to be black and whether she understood the struggles that black people face. The employee appeared nervous and laughed before apologizing for doing so. She then attempted to answer the woman’s questions, saying, “Yes, yes, I do. Or, I mean, no, I don’t.” The video ended shortly afterward.
In her Facebook post, the woman also shared the location of the Burger King branch where the employee worked and encouraged people to call and report her. However, many black people in the comments defended the employee, arguing that she may not have intended to cause harm.
Blackface is considered offensive and racist because of its historical connection to the dehumanization and mockery of black people. The practice dates back to 19th-century minstrel shows, when white performers darkened their faces and exaggerated black features and mannerisms to portray racist stereotypes for entertainment. These performances reinforced harmful perceptions of black people and contributed to the prejudice and discrimination they continue to face.
For this reason, wearing blackface is not simply a Halloween costume or a harmless attempt to change one’s appearance. It disregards the painful history behind the practice and reduces black people’s racial identity and lived experiences to something that can be temporarily imitated for entertainment.
Viewers Outraged Over Minnesota Burger King Employee’s Blackface
Many viewers online expressed outrage over the Minnesota Burger King employee wearing blackface, with several demanding that she be fired. “I need her fired EXPEDITIOUSLY‼‼!,” one person wrote. Another commented, “please, someone tell me she was fired or arrested or something.”
Other viewers focused on the employee’s response when asked whether black lives mattered. “‘black lives matter?’ ‘well no’ is DIABOLICAL,” one person wrote. Another commented, “Report her [expletive] because Idk why she think he’s OK and she thinks it’s funny.” Someone else added, “So she’s black for Halloween meaning we are scary folks or demonic folks cause I don’t get.”
The video highlighted why blackface remains offensive and harmful, particularly when worn by a white person. It also raised questions about how employers should respond when an employee shows up to work wearing blackface and whether such behavior should have professional consequences.
