Four Cleared Of Racism Charges After 'Blacking Up' As 'Cool Runnings' At Welsh Carnival

Four men have been cleared of all charges after they were seen and photographed 'blacking up' at Aberaeron Carnival last August.

The event, organised by the Welsh seaside town's Town Improvements Committee, takes place each year and features numerous floats and a parade.

Previous floats have included a 'rainbow' float in 2012, a replica Titanic and a NASA spaceship.

However, last year a group of four men caused controversy by 'blacking up', wearing fake dreadlocks and lycra outfits meant to resemble the Jamaican bobsleigh team made famous in 1993's Cool Runnings.

Wales News Service

The film was loosely based on the real-life exploits of Jamaica's bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Covered in black bodypaint, the men took part in the carnival's parade, causing controversy and offending some witnesses.

At the time, Dinah Mulholland, Labour's candidate for Ceredigion in the June election, wrote on Facebook: "Utterly horrified to see this from Aberaeron Carnival today. How could this have been considered acceptable, or even legal, by the Carnival organisers?

Wales News Service

"There may have been no conscious agenda or racist intent towards involved people of African or Caribbean heritage in the Cool Runnings float.

"But there is no doubt that offence has been caused and that there is a danger that, unchallenged, such behaviour makes casual racism seem okay."

Mulholland was later targeted by critics online, and deleted her Facebook account.

At the time of the carnival, a racist complaint was made to police and an investigation launched. After six months, the men have been cleared of wrongdoing.

A spokeswoman for Dyfed Powys Police said: "The incident was fully investigated, but no arrests or charges were made.

"The parties involved have been spoken to, and the people who reported the incident have been updated."

'Blacking up' used to be commonplace on UK televisions but is now considered by many to be racially insensitive.

The Black and White Minstrel Show, aired in the UK between 1958 and 1978, featured white actors in black face and was often criticised for portraying black people using stereotypes.

More recently, Matt Lucas of Little Britain said that he would no longer black up on screen as he had during the show's run, telling The Guardian there had been "no bad intent" but also that it was "lazy for white people to get a laugh just by playing black characters".

Topics: Police, UK News, Wales

Ronan O'Shea

Ronan J O'Shea is a freelance journalist from London who has written for titles including LADbible, Headspace, The Independent, National Geographic Traveller and New York Post. Contact him at [email protected].