File photo: Sam Okyere
Ghanaian television personality who is based in South Korea, Sam Okyere had to apologize after he was criticized following his post calling out blackface.
Sam had taken to his Instagram account to condemn a group of South Korean high school students who had won a black face in a paradox for the viral Ghanaian dancing pallbearers. The photo was for their yearbook.
However, Sam who was obviously alarmed by the fact the school even allowed the students to pose in the blackface condemned the action.
“Time and time again why won’t people get that blackface is very offensive and not funny at all,” Sam had written in English.
“There have been so many instances both on and off-air where people paint their faces black here in Korean think it’s funny! It’s not and I am highly against it and highly disappointed.”
“This has to stop in Korea! This ignorance cannot continue!” Sam said in a now-deleted Instagram post.
However, his criticism was not taken lightly and he counter criticized for how he went about it.
First, he was accused of not repeating the privacy of the students by sharing their photo without their permission, then he was accused of referring to Korean education as ignorant, then he was accused of using an inappropriate hashtag then his past was dug up where he was seen doing a gesture on TV that is seen derogatory to people from Asia. Oh… he was also criticized for typing in English too.
With all the bashing, Sam had to come out and apologize.
Posting in Korean Sam said “I apologize for stirring public criticism with the photos and caption I posted on my Instagram account.”
“My intent was not to belittle students. I was just trying to express my opinion, but I apologize for posting a photo of the students without their permission. I respect the privacy of students. That was my mistake,” he added.
“And in the part that I wrote in English, I didn’t mean there’s something wrong with Korean education. I apologize for the misunderstanding,” his apology continued.
“I wasn’t talking about Korean education, but I can see why there was a misunderstanding. I also didn’t know Teakpop says bad things about K-Pop. If I had known, I wouldn’t have used that hashtag,” he said.
Then he went on to say he would do better. “I didn’t think it through. I’ve received lots of love during my time in Korea, and I behaved rashly this time around. I’d like to apologize once again,” he said adding that “I’ll work hard to be a more educated.”
Meanwhile, the actual incident of the students wearing black face has gone unaddressed.
The black face photo of the students:
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