Halloween Blackface Photo Sparks Backlash For Newly Elected NJ Councilman

PITMAN,NJ — A local anti-racism group is calling on a newly-elected councilman in Pitman to apologize for a photo he shared online of himself wearing blackface on Halloween six years ago.

In the photo, Vince Kelly, who is white, says he went to a Halloween party dressed up as Flava Flav. A woman he is standing next to is dressed up as Peg Bundy.

“The photo in question was a ‘cover photo’ on Kelly’s personal Facebook page,” the Pitman Anti-Racist Collective said in a statement. “It is shared with the public, and was still posted as of Thursday, November 4. The photo has circulated among many in town; its existence is widely known at this point.”

Blackface is defined as Merriam-Webster as "dark makeup worn to mimic the appearance of a Black person and especially to mock or ridicule Black people."

“It allows a society to routinely and historically imagine African Americans as not fully human," David Leonard, Professor of Comparative Ethnic Studies and American Studies and Culture, told history.com in a 2019 interview. "It serves to rationalize violence and Jim Crow segregation.”

“The Pitman Anti-Racist Collective (PARC) believes Kelly must be held accountable for the existence of this photo and its continued presence on Kelly’s social media. PARC calls upon Kelly to make a public apology and to undertake Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training so that he might understand the unacceptable nature of his actions. In the absence of apology and accountability, PARC calls upon Kelly to step down.”

Kelly hadn’t responded to their criticism by Friday afternoon, nj.com reports.

Kelly and Courtney Susan Millward, both Republicans, defeated Democrats Paul Blass and Amy Rudley to claim two seats on Pitman Borough Council in Tuesday night’s elections.

Kelly edged Rudley for the second seat by a total of 1,851 votes to 1,818. Millward was the leading vote-getter with 1,905 votes. Blass had 1,770 votes.

It was part of a larger Republican movement in Gloucester County, which saw two longstanding Democrats ousted from the county board of commissioners, and Republican Edward Durr claim the 3rd Legislative District’s State Senate seat from Steve Sweeney.

On Friday, Durr faced backlash over anti-Islamic comments he made in 2019. He apologized for those comments. Read more here: GOP State Senator-Elect Faces Backlash Over Islamophobic Tweets

The Pitman Anti-Racist Collective formed in May 2020 to provide an avenue for members of the community to explore issues of racism and white supremacy. They focus on police accountability, educational accountability, outreach and a shift in culture.