CHICAGO — Some critics said Chiditarod organizers were two days late in addressing racist costumes at Saturday's shopping cart race by issuing an apology Monday and not stepping in sooner.
Now, some are saying that action was two years too late.
A 2013 photo of a different team wearing blackface makeup at the annual, costumed event for charity surfaced online Monday.
A 2013 Chiditarod participant dressed in blackface at the annual charity event (Flickr/Justin Goh)
"We erred in hoping that the 2013 mistake would not be repeated and not taking steps to ensure that was the case," said Diane Back, a Chiditarod organizer and board member, in an email Tuesday. "People have every right to be upset about this, it is a very valid response."
Chicago food and drink writer Audarshia Townsend brought the photo to the attention of Chiditarod organizers Monday, and the Chiditarod account Tweeted that the organization made a mistake in 2013 and "hoped it wouldn't happen again."
@IAmAudarshia @FoodDepository We made a mistake not immediately addressing the problem in 2013. Hoped it wouldn’t happen again.(2)
— CHIditarod (@chiditarod) March 10, 2015"They hoped to sweep it under the rug," Townsend said. "This should have been attended to in 2013."
Chiditarod collects food and money for the Greater Chicago Food Depository each year, and raised more than $30,000 for the organization Saturday.
The food charity called the actions of two men dressed in blackface at Saturday's race "offensive" and "contrary to our values" on Tuesday.
@IAmAudarshia We find it incredibly offensive, inappropriate and contrary to our values. We voiced our disapproval to the organizers.
— Chicago's food bank (@FoodDepository) March 10, 2015After seeing photos from 2015 and 2013, "we expressed our disapproval to the event organizers," said a food depository representative in an email. "As a beneficiary of food drive donations from Chiditarod, the Food Depository is requesting corrective steps from the organizers to ensure this is never repeated."
The "too-soon"-themed team at the 2015 Chiditarod included two men in blackface makeup dressed as Bill Cosby and a Jackie Robinson West Little League player as well as costumes lampooning Robin Williams' suicide, Bruce Jenner's rumored transition to a woman, and Bobbi Kristina Brown's coma. (Facebook/Mark Worthley)
Back stressed that the organization is revising its orientation and race-day policies for "educating participants about what is acceptable and not ... so that it won't be allowed to happen again."
Noting that the Chiditarod contestants dressed in blackface the same weekend a video of a racist chant from a University of Oklahoma fraternity surfaced, Townsend said she'd continue calling out racist behavior.
"This was in the public space where people, kids could see this, these guys walking around making fun of black people, rape, suicide, transgender people" she said. "It's just not going to be tolerated. This is not a time where people are quiet and afraid of speaking out. I'm going to do everything in my power to shut s--- like this down."
Read the full Twitter response from Chiditarod to the 2013 photo:
To clarify, the teams that used #blackface this year & 2013 are not the same (1)
— CHIditarod (@chiditarod) March 10, 2015@IAmAudarshia @FoodDepository We made a mistake not immediately addressing the problem in 2013. Hoped it wouldn’t happen again.(2)
— CHIditarod (@chiditarod) March 10, 2015@IAmAudarshia @FoodDepository We’re sorry our inaction allowed another team to do the same this year. Committed to preventing a repeat.(3)
— CHIditarod (@chiditarod) March 10, 2015@IAmAudarshia @FoodDepository We’re improving race guidelines & procedures & will educate racers to prevent future mistakes.(4)
— CHIditarod (@chiditarod) March 10, 2015@IAmAudarshia @FoodDepository Sincerely apologize for our oversight & invite you to dialog with us further via neighbors@chiditarod.org.(5)
— CHIditarod (@chiditarod) March 10, 2015For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
