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The Reappearance of Blackface on China’s Most Popular New Year’s TV Program Sparks Angry Debate

by Eric Claude Olander
Ethnically-Chinese wearing blackface to depict Africans in this year's CCTV Spring Festival Gala TV show.

The use of blackface for the second time in just three years to depict Africans on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala program broadcast last Thursday, provoked a heated debate on social media networks around the world over the weekend. The program is one of China’s most popular television shows, watched by a reported billion people. 

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