Halloween: A culture, not a costume

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Some of you may have seen this new anti-racism poster campaign coming out of Ohio State University, put together by one of their student organizations:

A culture, not a costume

poster 2

The campaign quickly went viral and has drawn national attention (along with a number of parodies). What’s good about these posters is the extensive discussions they’ve sparked around the country. Are costumes based on a stereotype inherently racist? Where is the line drawn between racism and a casual joke—and is there ever such a thing as a casual joke about race? Who gets to decide if something has crossed the line?

Some have dismissed the posters as being too sensitive and taking the fun out of Halloween. But Cherokee blogger Adrienne asks the key follow-up question: “Why does your fun have to come at the expense of my well-being?”

Meanwhile, take a look at this amazing pumpkin YA author and blogger Kate Hart carved with the cover image of Under the Mesquite:

Mesquite PumpkinGorgeous!

Happy Halloween, everyone!