Two staffers on Democrat J.B. Pritzker’s gubernatorial campaign were fired on Friday after a photo showing one of them wearing what looked like blackface surfaced on Instagram.
Two campaign staffers for Democratic candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker have been suspended without pay, after one of them wore a charcoal face mask in an Instagram post, making it appear he was wearing blackface. https://t.co/fNukgRSMAS pic.twitter.com/kBzCcwhHYh
— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) October 26, 2018
In the photo, a white man’s face is covered in a blackish gray substance and he is wearing a shirt that says “JB & Juliana for Illinois.” There’s also a heart in the corner of the photo with the word “psycho” inside it.
The photo was posted on Carolyn Mehta’s Instagram page, the Chicago Sun Times reported. She told them in a Facebook message that “It was a charcoal face mask.”
CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 01: Illinois gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker speaks during a round table discussion with high school students at a creative workspace for women on October 1, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joshua Lott/Getty Images)
“This photo was posted on a private Instagram account and after finding out about it this morning, both individuals were immediately suspended without pay. After further investigation, both staffers have been fired,” the campaign said in a statement, according to the Chicago Sun Times. (RELATED: Flashback: Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel And Sarah Silverman All Wore Blackface)
This is not the first racial incident involving Pritzker’s campaign.
Earlier this month, ten current and former campaign employees filed a discrimination lawsuit alleging they were harassed and discriminated against as a result of their skin color. (RELATED: Black And Latino Campaign Staffers File Lawsuit Against Dem Illinois Gov Candidate For Racial Discrimination)
The staffers reportedly turned down a $7.5 million settlement offer.
This comes on the heels of Megyn Kelly making unflattering remarks about blackface. She made the comment on her NBC show but has since been relieved of her position.
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