To find this disturbing for a number of reasons....

[Tinlegs]

Photograph, posted on Facebook (and, therefore, in my eyes, endorsed) by a teacher of a group of people dressed up for Halloween. One person, "blacked up" (face mask, brownish make up on neck etc) one person "whitened up" (face mask, White make up) and a third person, also made up but in a brown colour. "Black man" wearing track suit, trainers and lots and lots of jewellery. "White woman" in curlers, Primark hoodie, track suit bottoms, heels. "Brown person" (an adult) in a child's buggy with a bottle, dummy and carrying what looks like a lunch box.

AIBU to think that this is racist and stereotyping of the worst kind. That they are dressed as a mixed race "chav" (not a word I would use but...) low income family who bottle feeds their baby, dresses badly and pushes a very old child around, who are all overweight etc.

Now I know these people. The area we live in is NOT at all multi cultural so there is unlikely to have been anyone offended at the party. But I am offended.

FWIW at least one of these people works with children on a daily basis.

Mumsnet, over to you.

You really aren't getting it are you? I don't work in the public sector as it happens. My company has earned the Equality and Diversity Gold Standard and we are expected to uphold that. I'm a Diversity Champion for the company and if anyone posted that on their Facebook page sure as hell I'd report them if challenging them on a personal level didn't work.

So what setting are you employed in mylovelyboy?

Op did you say the person who posted this was a teacher? If so, then this is pretty disgraceful!
i'd be contacting her school, and making her head aware of this.

Tinlegs I'd share your concerns and suggest she takes it down before her employers see it.

If she doesn't see anything unacceptable about it I'd consider informing the school then.

Ilovesnooty I have worked in the private sector (City of London) most of my working life. If i dressed up as a black, blue, orange person or even stark bollock naked person at a party at the weekend. Out of working hours. (nothing to do with work) Do you really think they would give a shit. As long as I was doing my job (in working hours) thats all they care about. If I did something of a criminal nature then of course there would be some concern to my company. But dressing up is a totally different issue.

It was posted by a teacher??? I missed that on the first read. That's terrible. I'd hate to think that my dc were being taught by someone who found this kind of thing funny. Definitely report it to the school.

I am mixed race and in my hometown in the country were I come from, 80% of the population are black or mixed race, and it has a very strong African Culture.

Now I am living in London, my dd is mixed race too as her father is white british with no mixture at all.

We live in a deprived area surrounded by "chavs" although I don't consider ourselves chavs.

I am not offended at all.

ilovesnooty sod working for you. You sound like every offices nightmare

Just showed it to my more clued up son (14) who reckons it is meant to be Kim kardashian, Kanye West and baby North.

Not sure if this changes things.

I can't believe anyone could defend blacking up. I genuinely thought that had gone out with the minstrels.

Of course you can be fired/disciplined at work for things you do outside if they have the potential to impact on the company or bring them into disrepute.

Mylovelyboy Why did you need to wear black make up for your costume? Why were wigs and an outfit not enough?

Obviously this is wrong. Confront them ask them what makes them think this ok!
I saw people blacked up wearing and traditional Arab clothing with back packs with fake bombs on them. Seriously what goes through the heads of these people! It is disgusting and they think it's a joke.
People clearly aren't educated enough about the history of racism and on how not to be a cunt.

Oh well, mylovelyboy that explains a lot. I doubt if most of your workplace settings were too concerned about minorities or equality policy. It might be responsible for your not giving a shit either. Do rest assured though that most workplaces are more ethical and concerned about how employees impact on their reputation.

Perhaps the masks they were wearing were Kim/Kanye masks then?

Still makes me very uneasy, however. I just can't quite put my finger on why. Probably the blacking up.

Most black/mixed race people dont get offended or cry racism at the drop of a hat. Its the bloody white people that make a big issue out of it.

Well. mylovelyboy I wouldn't want to work alongside someone who is unconcerned about bullying and equality and certainly not with someone who promotes casual racism.

i wondered how long it would be until we had the mention of the black friends

not back going you held off for some time

not bad...

not not back

I've obviously wandered into an attempt at debate with a poster whose unpleasant attitude and views are known to some of you already.

I don't see it at racist at all.

If it was 3 black people in the photo "whitening" their faces would u class that as racist too?

I also find it offensive and frankly I think you'd have to be either ignorant or racist to not understand why blacking up, with its historical link to racial stereotyping, is inappropriate.

The reason it is offensive, mylovelyboy, is because the people being depicted are marginalised, were enslaved and have been mistreated for generations. Because they were not allowed, even when slavery ended, to have a seat on a bus or an education. White people were often wealthier, better educated and had more life chances and so ended up with power.

With power comes responsibility. You can't mistreat and marginalise a group of people and then, on top of that, take the piss out of them, just as things are improving. Dressing up in green make up implies you are jealous, or related to the Incredible Hulk. Blacking up is cruel because it come from a tradition of cruelty to black people or those who are mixed race.

Maybe things have moved on and many black / mixed race people would not be offended by this. However, as a public sector employee, I would not be running the risk of it being seen as racist by endorsing it on Facebook.