H.S. principal denies racial intent behind powderpuff team's blackface
Students at a Missouri high school wore blackface for a powderpuff football game earlier this month but the school's principal denies any racial intent behind the gesture, according to the Riverfront Times.
According to Sullivan High School principal Jennifer Schmidt, the senior girls traditionally paint their faces the school colors of black and gold for the annual powderpuff game. It's meant to parody the eye black that football players often wear.
Schmidt said that the group of senior girls painted their faces fully black only because nobody happened to bring any gold paint for the Nov. 5 game.
"So that's what they wore," says Schmidt. "There was nothing racial about it. They didn't have any other intention other than to just try to intimidate the underclassmen."
The girls, says Schmidt, have been "very embarrassed and shocked at some of the responses they've gotten, because I think some people had some stuff on Facebook and got the wrong intention."
Schmidt said girls likely won't be allowed to paint their faces for the game in the future.
No disciplinary action has been taken against the students involved.
- Ben Estes
