The Italian airline took down the ads featuring an actor depicting Obama in blackface.
It’s 2019 and people still think using Blackface for anything is a good idea. In fact, it is not and it’s getting to a point where it feels like companies are using outrage for attention. An Italian airline is the latest company to face backlash for using blackface which they have apologized for but only after complaints were made.
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Alitalia issued a statement on Twitter for the video that showed a white actor depicting themselves as Obama in Blackface. The video itself has been removed from social media but it was also shown on flight’s for Alitalia’s Rome to Washington flight.
“Alitalia deeply apologizes for the fense caused by the promotional video on our Washington route,” the tweet reads. “It has since been removed. For our Company, respect for everyone is mandatory, it was never our intention to hurt anyone and we will learn from what has happened.”
The blackface controversy has apparently been rampant among a few Italian companies this year. Earlier this year, T.I. and other members the hip-hop community called for a boycott against Gucci after the Italian designer brand debuted a blackface mask. Since then, Gucci has taken steps towards trying to repair its image form the damage. They announced a Changemakers Fund to help promote diversity within their brand because apparently, they need it a whole lot.