Allegations of Racism: Alitalia Pulls Ad Featuring Obama Impersonator
Following fierce criticism on social media, the Italian airline Alitalia has withdrawn an advertising campaign featuring an impersonator of former U.S. President Barack Obama after the company was accused of racism.
In a commercial for a new route to Washington, Alitalia had used an actor made up to look like a Black person in a manner reminiscent of «blackface.».
The airline apologized. The video has since been removed. «Respect for everyone is a priority for our company. It was never our intention to hurt anyone, and we have learned from what happened,» Alitalia wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.
The term «blackfacing» is used when white people wear makeup to portray Black people. (SDA)
