Even in 2025– generations removed from Jim Crow and slavery– folks are still dressing up in blackface. But one high school community in Georgia isn’t having it, and now, they’re taking action against a group of white people who are learning the hard way.
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It all started with one volleyball game at Whitewater High School in Fayetteville, Ga. According to reports, the theme of the sports match against LaGrange High School was “blackout,” and a group of white attendees took their costumes to an ignorant level, Fox 5 reported. Four adults and one non-Whitewater student painted their bodies and faces in black paint, and if you know anything about the history of blackface, then you should be horrified.
Superintendent Jonathan Patterson wrote in a statement, “We want to state clearly: it is never acceptable to paint one’s face black.” He continued, “This action is deeply offensive, and it does not reflect the values of our schools or our community.” He went on adding these visitors should’ve never been allowed to enter the game in the first place and apologized.
A photo taken of the blackface visitors showed two men and three women dressed in all black, with one man shirtless. Each person was wearing a white afro wig with letters painted on their shirts, spelling “RYLEE.”
The picture quickly circulated online and expectedly gained backlash. “No, not ‘controversial.’ Racist,” @eightoutofnine wrote on X. “And it wasn’t just a ‘wig’ it was an Afro wig. Stop watering it down and start using the right words.”
Another user, @spacetigre, was in disbelief saying, “Blackface in the big 25??? 40min outside Atlanta????????”
Georgia Rep. Derrick Jackson demanded the district take serious action in response to the racist spectacle. “The presence of blackface was an act of profound insensitivity and the Fayette County school system failure to address it was unacceptable,” he said. “This is a time for the superintendent to leave. We are here to demand that the superintendent take immediate and decisive action.”
There’s no rule explicitly prohibiting blackface in the district’s guidelines, which NAACP chapter Vice President Quentin Pullen said this is a teachable moment. “It’s ironic that this is the Fayette County Board of Education because this is a teachable moment for our community,” he said. “Blackout just simply means wearing black, not on your face.”
The principal of Whitewater shared a similar sentiment. “We want to be clear that the actions of the visitors do not reflect the values of our school or community, and we do not condone it in any way,” principal Krystin Hall said. “Our school events are meant to be safe, positive, and welcoming experiences for all. We remain committed to upholding respect, inclusivity, and sportsmanship at every event hosted on our campus.”
After the incident, Whitewater High School is set to review the student code of conduct clarifying that blackface is unacceptable.
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