American students launch campaign against racist Halloween costumes

A poster campaign has been launched in America by Ohio University student group Students Teaching Against Racism in Society (STARS) to highlight the racial stereotyping in Halloween costumes.

Their mission is “to educate and facilitate discussion about racism and to promote racial harmony and to create a safe, non-threatening environment to allow participants to feel comfortable to express their feelings.”

Blogger Melissa Sipin, who wrote about the posters on her blog Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind two days ago, had to disable comments on the site after she received comments from ‘rude, racist people.’

An article at Arizona Daily Wildcat praises the campaign and states:

STARS exists because racism is only playing dead. It manifests itself not in slurs and exclusion, but in stupid jokes and really inaccurate costumes. As a minority, you’re a character, not a person. People dress up as you on Halloween. On TV, you’re the token black guy, easily replaced by some other black guy after one season.