TORONTO 鈥 Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau apologized Wednesday for wearing brownface makeup at a party in 2001, after TIME Magazine published a photo from the event.
鈥淚 shouldn鈥檛 have done that. I should have known better but I didn鈥檛 and I鈥檓 really sorry,鈥 Trudeau told reporters on the plane after a day of campaigning in Atlantic Canada.
TIME reported Wednesday that the photo appeared in the 2000-2001 yearbook of West Point Grey Academy, a private day school in Vancouver where Trudeau was a teacher at the time.
The photo was taken at the school鈥檚 annual dinner, which had an 鈥淎rabian Nights鈥 theme, a Liberal Party spokesperson said.
Trudeau acknowledged that he was dressed as Aladdin.
"It was a dumb thing to do. I鈥檓 disappointed in myself. I鈥檓 pissed off at myself for having done it. I wish I hadn鈥檛 done it, but I did it and I apologize for it,鈥 he said.
鈥淚 have worked all my life to try and create opportunities for people, to fight against racism and intolerance, and I can just stand here and say that I made a mistake when I was younger and I wish I hadn鈥檛.鈥
Trudeau was nearly 30 years old when the photo was taken.
from a Vancouver businessman who first saw the photo in July and 鈥渇elt it should be made public.鈥
Asked whether this is the only such incident from his past, Trudeau said: 鈥淲hen I was in high school, I dressed up at a talent show and sang Day-O. With makeup on.鈥
He was referring to 鈥淏anana Boat Song (Day-O),鈥 a Jamaican folk song. The best-known version of it was released by Jamaican-American singer Harry Belafonte in the 1950s.
Late Wednesday, CTV's Question Period host Evan Solomon of that incident.
Asked if he should resign, Trudeau suggested that 鈥渕istakes鈥 should be judged on a 鈥渃ase-by-case basis.鈥
"It was something that I didn't think was racist at the time, but now I recognize it was something racist to do, and I'm deeply sorry," he said.
Scheer says photo shows Trudeau 鈥榥ot fit to govern鈥
In a brief statement in front of cameras late Wednesday night, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said that Trudeau鈥檚 brownface photo was as racist in 2001 as it is today.
鈥淲hat Canadians saw this evening is someone with a complete lack of judgment and integrity and someone who is not fit to govern this country,鈥 he said before walking away without taking any questions from reporters.
that he will stand with Conservative candidates who have made controversial comments in the past, so long as they have apologized and taken responsibility for their comments.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called Trudeau鈥檚 2001 photo 鈥渢roubling鈥 and 鈥渋nsulting.鈥
鈥淎ny time we hear examples of brownface or blackface it's ... making a mockery of someone for what they lived and what their lived experiences are,鈥 Singh said at a campaign event. 鈥淩acism is real. People in this room have felt it. I鈥檝e heard the stories, I鈥檝e experienced it in my life.鈥
In an emotional statement later Wednesday night, Singh directly addressed people who are personally impacted by the photo.
鈥淭he kids that see this image, the people that see this image are going to think about all the times in their life that they were made fun of, that they were hurt, that they were hit, that they were insulted,鈥 he said.
鈥淪eeing this image is going to be hard for a lot of people. It鈥檚 going to bring up a lot of pain 鈥 please reach out to your loved ones. Please reach out to people who are suffering in silence right now.鈥
Green Party Leader that she is 鈥渄eeply shocked by the racism shown in the photograph of Justin Trudeau.鈥
May said Trudeau must 鈥渃ommit to learning and appreciating the requirement to model social justice leadership at all levels of government. In this matter he has failed.鈥
The National Council of Canadian Muslims called the photo "deeply saddening.鈥
"The wearing of blackface/brownface is reprehensible, and hearkens back to a history of racism, slavery, and an Orientalist mythology that is unacceptable," said executive director Mustafa Farooq. The council later thanked Trudeau for his apology
In recent years, many politicians in the United States have had to apologize for appearing in blackface or brownface images. Some of those images also appeared in yearbooks from the past.
News of Trudeau鈥檚 brownface photo made international headlines on Wednesday. The New York Times and CNN were among the media outlets that featured stories on the controversy and predicted that the photo鈥檚 emergence will throw the Canadian election into 鈥渢urmoil.鈥
With files from The Canadian Press
