Burger King has finally responded after a white employee in Minnesota sparked outrage by showing up to work in blackface on Halloween, but the fast-food giant is already facing criticism over how it handled the controversy.
A video of the employee working at a Burger King drive-thru on October 31 went viral after customer Shavelle Devine, who is Black, confronted her about the offensive costume. The footage shows the worker wearing dark makeup while explaining why she had chosen the appearance. “I’m just Black today,” the employee told Devine when asked about her costume.
When asked whether she supported the Black Lives Matter movement, the employee replied, “Well, no, I just wanted to be black.” Devine then questioned whether the worker understood the struggles Black Americans face. The employee initially appeared to agree before correcting herself and admitting, “No, I don’t.”
The video has attracted widespread attention, with viewers questioning how the employee was allowed to serve customers while wearing blackface. Burger King subsequently issued a statement addressing the incident, telling media outlets that it was taking the matter seriously.
“The Franchisee of this location is addressing the situation with his team, manager, and Team Member to ensure everyone involved understands why this is not acceptable and won’t happen again,” a spokesperson said.
People Want More From Burger King
However, the company’s social media response has generated another wave of criticism because of where it chose to publish the statement. Rather than creating a separate, dedicated social media post acknowledging the controversy, Burger King seemingly left its response as a comment underneath an unrelated Instagram Halloween post celebrating customers who dressed as vampires.
The decision did not go unnoticed. “@burgerking are you for real right now????” one commenter questioned the account. Another questioned why the employee and management had not already faced consequences, writing, “We want more than a promise to be better we want consequences!”
“THE MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL NEED TO BE FIRED AS WELL!! WHY WAS THAT WOMAN NOT SENT HOME THE MOMENT SHE SHOWED UP TO WORK WITH BLACKFACE?” another furious commenter asked. Someone else criticized the company’s decision to issue its response in the comments, writing, “And you’re commenting this and not making a standalone post??? Fire the employee and fire any management who thought it was acceptable for her to do it.”
Others demanded that the employee be fired, questioning why nobody intervened before she reached the drive-thru window. Blackface has a long history in the United States, dating back to 19th-century minstrel shows in which White performers darkened their faces to portray Black people through demeaning racial stereotypes.
For Devine, the incident was about more than an offensive Halloween costume. “Blackface is not simply a Halloween costume, a joke, or a harmless form of entertainment,” she said, emphasizing its painful history of racism, humiliation, and dehumanization. Burger King has not publicly confirmed whether the employee or any members of management have been disciplined at the time of writing.
