10 former RI students behind blackface group photo issue apology; school condemns their actions

Now woke to the highly insensitive actions they did four years ago, a group of former Raffles Institution students who posed in blackface for a photo have all spoken out about their own immaturity and ignorance in their youth. 

The internet was rightfully repulsed by a picture posted on an Instagram account in April 2016 — a photo of a student, believed to be of Sri Lankan descent, surrounded by 10 others donning black beauty face masks. 

This, on top of the group standing with a paper bag with the label "whitening kit" — all apparently part of the birthday celebrations for the brown student. Though he gave his consent to posting the photo, it’d be hard to imagine that he was completely comfortable with his so-called friends spotlighting the colour of his skin in such a manner. 

A Twitter user found it and resurfaced the problematic photograph on Wednesday (June 3), where it blew up. The former RI student who posted the photo on his Instagram account took it down immediately and issued an apology via Instagram Stories, taking responsibility for his “stupidity and racist actions”. 

Prominent playwright Alfian Sa’at reposted the photo on his Facebook page, remarking how he felt “visceral revulsion and shame” as a former RI student himself. 

He expanded on the post by sharing his own uncomfortable brushes with racial jokes at his former school, where he had been a minority. 

“Let it be known that I encountered jokes like these not in my ‘neighbourhood’ primary school, nor when I was serving in the army, but in the hallowed halls of Raffles Institution,” he wrote. 

“At that time I never spent much time wondering where my schoolmates picked up these jokes — their parents? Cousins? Friends? And what made them think it was all right to share these jokes in front of me? And that I would not retaliate? Because there were so few people who looked like me in school?"

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It was yesterday afternoon (June 4) that Alfian made another Facebook post after receiving a note from the 10 former RI students who donned blackface in the problematic photograph. He republished the apology they wrote as a collective. 

“We wholeheartedly and unreservedly apologise, to our friend and the community. What we did was wrong, and in no way justifiable. It is no excuse that we were young, immature and ignorant. It is no excuse that we had no malicious intentions. It is no excuse that we were celebrating our friend’s birthday. With our insensitive, racist, and cruel celebration, we clearly failed him instead. We are deeply sorry to our friend, and to the many others whom we have caused distress. We know that our apology cannot undo years of microaggression and casual racism, but we hope it goes a small way towards making things right.

Race-based banter, like what we engaged in, is not funny, and never acceptable. Like other forms of racism, it marginalises minorities and perpetuates discrimination. Moving forward, we commit to unlearning these behaviours and will continue to reflect on our actions. We will work harder to amplify the voices of the minorities in Singapore and educate ourselves further. Once again, we are truly sorry for what we did."

RI also issued a statement of its own in response to the controversy, condemning the former students’ actions. The 10 students have also reached out to their former school to apologise.

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“We do not condone such cultural insensitivities and regret that their actions have caused distress and hurt to the community,” RI wrote on Facebook. “Their teachers would have intervened and counselled them if they had known about their birthday celebration plans.”

“This incident is a timely reminder to all of us that our work in building a more inclusive school and society must continue.”

Reactions to the students’ statement of apology have been commended for its sincerity. 

ilyas@asiaone.com