The organizers finally issued that apology and the paper actually walked back their coverage which feels like such a massive shift after all this time. I am still kind of processing how we got here but please keep watching the space because we really need to make sure this stays …
July 16, 2015
Final supporters
if you've been on social media lately you'll have seen the shocking images of youths dressing up in offensive gear for the Swakopmund Carnival (Kuska-Maskenball). A traditionally German festival that happens in Namibia. The youths in question dressed up as members of the Ku Klux Klan and did themselves up in laborers costumes using blackface. Their get ups got them into the national German newspaper, Allgemeine Zeitung. But not for the reasons you'd expect! They were celebrated. And their outfits called 'imaginative'. We have been independent and democratic for 25 years yet we experience this offensive content in our press! We need to act, and fast. We need to stand up and call for an end to this racial insensitivity. We hereby call for a public apology from the individuals in costume, an explanation from the organizers of the event as to how this was permitted to happen. Lastly it is important to ask that the newspaper in question makes an inquiry into it's own reaction and lack of critical responce to heinous and damaging behaviour
Updates
July 1, 2015
We are getting so near that one thousand mark and the energy feels like it is really starting to build up now. If everyone could just grab someone else today and show them what happened in the paper we might actually get the momentum to force a real response from the editors. It is honestly exhausting to keep explaining why this is wrong but seeing these signatures go up makes me feel like we might finally be heard.
Reached 100 supporters
June 30, 2015
June 29, 2015
Seeing the numbers creep up honestly makes me feel so much better about everything because I was really starting to wonder if anyone else was disturbed by that newspaper photo. We are almost at a hundred people which is just wild but we cannot stop now while the editors are still silent about their coverage. I need you all to grab that link and put it on your timelines because they are definitely watching to see if we just give up or keep going.
481 Comments
These costumes were in very bad taste. I do not understand how the individuals though this would even be okay, how the even organisers allowed them entrance and how the newspaper even let those photo's be published. The whole story is unacceptable and amends must be made.
This is just dispensable for someone to think this is entertainment....they should be punished and the AZ paper too.... if I dressed up like 'Hitler' at any dressed up party, I dont think people will find pitty excuses such as "they are just kids"...
I'm all for this! What you say is so true ... !!!! The only thing is I was at the karneval and under those KKK costumes weren't only white people but also a black person. It is wrong, whatever they thought, but the youth are very ignorant
I am a black Namibian and after the incident in Gobabis where a fellow black Namibian was beaten I just feel things that are racially dangerous should not be allowed they should have fun being white not make fun of black people....
These are not the kinds of things I want to be subjected to 25 years in an Independent Namibia were reconciliation is supposed to be the order of the day, and furthermore in national media, it is heinous and insulting to say the least.
I hate the way White people think they're smarter than black people.
When i read this post for the first time i almost started laughing. Yes yes...i understand the fact that its not cool to wear those costumes but some people need to wake up and smell the flowers. Look carefully at the image and you'll see that one of the member of this group is actually a black person. They are a group of friends and had no real intention of promoting the KKK or racism and the person wearing an overall with the painted face might just as well have been celebrating the work force that help build this country. Why do people always jump to conclusions and make a big issue without doing proper research into a situation before making a statement. Racism comes in many forms from all sides of our multi colored society and after how many decades we are still so uber sensitive about these situations. Its so easy to point fingers when someone screws up but at the end of the day only a few are willing to help, teach, understand or make a difference. We all grew up differently in Namibia, in different areas with different ways of life and we all have different opinions on different subjects, but we are still Namibians. From my experience individuality wont get you anywhere. We need to stand together and help each other develop this country. This is our home and we need to respect each others decisions and be open minded about things that offend our up bringing. Yes...these guys would probably agree to a public apology if you ask them and after all the social media posts about this subject the organizers of the event will be more strict concerning costumes rules etc. If this will extinguish this situation then im all in, but also understand that by making an example of these young kids you might put them in danger or even make the situation worse. Im all game for peace and prosperity but if we start a war over this bulls*!t then ill still protect those closest to me if it gets to that point. Not because im racist but because i care for my family a
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
The organizers finally issued that apology and the paper actually walked back their coverage which feels like such a massive shift after all this time. I am still kind of processing how we got here but please keep watching the space because we really need to make sure this stays …
July 16, 2015
Final supporters
if you've been on social media lately you'll have seen the shocking images of youths dressing up in offensive gear for the Swakopmund Carnival (Kuska-Maskenball). A traditionally German festival that happens in Namibia. The youths in question dressed up as members of the Ku Klux Klan and did themselves up in laborers costumes using blackface. Their get ups got them into the national German newspaper, Allgemeine Zeitung. But not for the reasons you'd expect! They were celebrated. And their outfits called 'imaginative'. We have been independent and democratic for 25 years yet we experience this offensive content in our press! We need to act, and fast. We need to stand up and call for an end to this racial insensitivity. We hereby call for a public apology from the individuals in costume, an explanation from the organizers of the event as to how this was permitted to happen. Lastly it is important to ask that the newspaper in question makes an inquiry into it's own reaction and lack of critical responce to heinous and damaging behaviour
Updates
July 1, 2015
We are getting so near that one thousand mark and the energy feels like it is really starting to build up now. If everyone could just grab someone else today and show them what happened in the paper we might actually get the momentum to force a real response from the editors. It is honestly exhausting to keep explaining why this is wrong but seeing these signatures go up makes me feel like we might finally be heard.
Reached 100 supporters
June 30, 2015
June 29, 2015
Seeing the numbers creep up honestly makes me feel so much better about everything because I was really starting to wonder if anyone else was disturbed by that newspaper photo. We are almost at a hundred people which is just wild but we cannot stop now while the editors are still silent about their coverage. I need you all to grab that link and put it on your timelines because they are definitely watching to see if we just give up or keep going.
481 Comments
These are Whites who aren't interested in Nation building and think of themselves as being more European than Namibian and hence the disconnect and blatant insensitivity. I dont think they would dress up as Hitler or Jews if they were in Germany.
These costumes were in very bad taste. I do not understand how the individuals though this would even be okay, how the even organisers allowed them entrance and how the newspaper even let those photo's be published. The whole story is unacceptable and amends must be made.
This is just dispensable for someone to think this is entertainment....they should be punished and the AZ paper too.... if I dressed up like 'Hitler' at any dressed up party, I dont think people will find pitty excuses such as "they are just kids"...
I'm all for this! What you say is so true ... !!!! The only thing is I was at the karneval and under those KKK costumes weren't only white people but also a black person. It is wrong, whatever they thought, but the youth are very ignorant
I am a black Namibian and after the incident in Gobabis where a fellow black Namibian was beaten I just feel things that are racially dangerous should not be allowed they should have fun being white not make fun of black people....
These are not the kinds of things I want to be subjected to 25 years in an Independent Namibia were reconciliation is supposed to be the order of the day, and furthermore in national media, it is heinous and insulting to say the least.
I hate the way White people think they're smarter than black people.
When i read this post for the first time i almost started laughing. Yes yes...i understand the fact that its not cool to wear those costumes but some people need to wake up and smell the flowers. Look carefully at the image and you'll see that one of the member of this group is actually a black person. They are a group of friends and had no real intention of promoting the KKK or racism and the person wearing an overall with the painted face might just as well have been celebrating the work force that help build this country. Why do people always jump to conclusions and make a big issue without doing proper research into a situation before making a statement. Racism comes in many forms from all sides of our multi colored society and after how many decades we are still so uber sensitive about these situations. Its so easy to point fingers when someone screws up but at the end of the day only a few are willing to help, teach, understand or make a difference. We all grew up differently in Namibia, in different areas with different ways of life and we all have different opinions on different subjects, but we are still Namibians. From my experience individuality wont get you anywhere. We need to stand together and help each other develop this country. This is our home and we need to respect each others decisions and be open minded about things that offend our up bringing. Yes...these guys would probably agree to a public apology if you ask them and after all the social media posts about this subject the organizers of the event will be more strict concerning costumes rules etc. If this will extinguish this situation then im all in, but also understand that by making an example of these young kids you might put them in danger or even make the situation worse. Im all game for peace and prosperity but if we start a war over this bulls*!t then ill still protect those closest to me if it gets to that point. Not because im racist but because i care for my family a
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
These are Whites who aren't interested in Nation building and think of themselves as being more European than Namibian and hence the disconnect and blatant insensitivity. I dont think they would dress up as Hitler or Jews if they were in Germany.