Anti-racism groups have slammed Spain’s continued use of having blackface Balthazars in some of the country’s Epiphany parades – prompting Madrid City Council to also apologise for distributing videos to children featuring a white actor wearing blackface to represent one of the three wise men.
In Spain, many families still give and receive Christmas gifts on 6 January, the day of Epiphany when Christians recall the visit of the three kings to the baby Jesus, with colourful and traditional parades held across the country the night before (5 January).
Children traditionally receive gifts brought by the three kings, Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar – who is usually depicted as middle eastern or black in Christian lore. Parades held on the eve of the feast of Epiphany in Spain have long featured the role of Balthazar played by a white man — sometimes a local councillor — in black make-up, although in recent years opposition has grown to the practice.
Madrid’s former left-wing mayor Manuela Carmena ended the practice in the Spanish capital in 2016 and the city now employs a black actor to play the role in its Epiphany parade, which is broadcast live across the country.
However, as part of this year’s festivities, Madrid City Council hired a firm to produce personalised video messages from the three kings which parents in the Chamartín neighbourhood of the capital could request for their children.
One version featured a white man wearing dark face paint representing Balthazar who spoke in a mock-West African accent and grammatically incorrect Spanish, sparking accusations of racism [see video in Tweet below].
‘It’s incredible that among the 120,000 residents of Madrid who are of African descent, they were unable to find a single one who can play the role of Balthazar,’ said Eduardo Rubino of the left-wing Mas Madrid party, describing the accent as ‘pathetic’ and ‘pure racism’.
Between 20 to 30 videos featuring the man in blackface were sent out, Madrid’s deputy mayor, Maria Inmaculada Sanz Otero, told reporters.
