Nic Naitanui Says Book Week Blackface Controversy "Hurts My Heart"

Nic Naitanui and the mother behind a young boy’s ‘blackface’ costume for Book Week have both addressed the controversial incident.

West Coast Eagles champ Naitanui posted his response on Twitter, saying the innocence of the WA student attempting to emulate his hero “hurts my heart.”

“I don’t believe the mother had any intention to cause harm, just wanted her kid to simply be ‘Nic Nat’, however may reflect on this and choose an alternate method next time”, he wrote.

The mother - we won’t share her name, to protect the privacy of her son - initially stoked outrage with a Facebook post in which she explained why she painted her son’s skin, despite fearing “politically correct extremists”.

A day later, she returned to Facebook to say she’d been called “every single name under the sun” by critics.

She also told 6PR radio that it was “heartbreaking” having to explain the issue to her nine-year-old, to which he apparently responded: “I dream of being Nic Nat, I just wanted to look like him for one day.”

As we’ve previously written here, blackface is just not an acceptable option for any upcoming events on one’s social calendar, for a host of significant cultural reasons. (For those who don’t really see the problem, it’d be worthwhile spending a few minutes reading up on the historical context of blackface, and come to understand why it’s ultimately a hurtful, insensitive act, devoid of empathy.)

But certainly a nine-year-old shouldn’t be dragged by the denizens of the internet for wanting to emulate his hero (setting aside the fact that football is not a 'book'). Perhaps the mother should have instead explained to him that historical context, rather than immediately assume the position of ‘victim’ in a war being waged only by herself.

Still, it’s hard to think of a more measured, thoughtful, on-point response than the one provided by Nic Nat. He even ended with the following:

#LetsGrowTogether

Photo: Facebook.