Summary

David Harewood adamantly denounces Blackface, defending himself in a published statement and on his Threads account.
Harewood clarifies that his words were taken out of context, and he does not condone Blackface in any way.
The former
Supergirl
actor expresses frustration at being misrepresented and urges accurate understanding of his views on the matter.

Anyone who has seen the Christmas classic Holiday Inn (1942) knows it’s a timeless classic. Unfortunately, viewers also remember the infamous Blackface number with Bing Crosby’s face painted up as a wildly inappropriate caricature. And today, David Harewood is livid about the misconception that he actually condones Blackface.

What began as a candid discussion about the life and career of the British thespian turned into a maelstrom as online readers consumed the information and reacted accordingly. So, the former Supergirl actor has come forward and addressed the published article by The Guardian, and Harewood insists that he does not “support or condone Blackface.” Harewood said in a statement (per Entertainment Weekly):

I don’t support or condone Blackface. My own documentary on the subject can be found on the BBC website. It is a grotesque distortion of race and should always be condemned.

Supergirl Release Date October 26, 2015 Seasons 6 Studio The CW Franchise DC

The uproar began after the following conversation was published on The Guardian’s official website earlier in the week. Harewood said in that original piece:

“We’re at this strange point in the profession
where people go: ‘Oh, you can’t play that role because you’re not disabled, or you can’t play that because you’re not really from there.’
The name of the game is acting.
Yes, we’ve got to be representative, but
I do think we have to be careful.”

Harewood portrayed both Hank Henshaw (Cyborg Superman) and the Oreo cookie-munching superhero J’onn J’onzz, aka the Martian Manhunter, in The CW’s now cancelled Supergirl series. Harewood continued in the same interview with The Guardian:

“That even extends to Othello in Blackface.
I say,
if you want to black up, have at it, man.
It’d better be f-—ing good, or else you’re gonna get laughed off the stage. But
knock yourself out! Anybody should be able to do anything.”

David Harewood Calls Blackface a ‘Racist Concept’

David Harewood co-starred in all six seasons of The CW’s series, Supergirl, which starred Melissa Benoist as the Girl of Steel. Harewood has worked steadily in projects like Sherwood, The Canterville Ghost and Arthur’s Whisky, which shouldn’t be confused with “whiskey,” since Supergirl was cancelled. However, the actor is in the news now, because of the misconception that he condones Blackface. In addition to the statement he released, courtesy of EW, Harewood took to his Threads account to try and clarify the situation. Harewood wrote:

“I’ve got to follow up on the article I posted yesterday, as it appears that my words have been
taken grotesquely out of context to imply that I condone BLACKFACE.
Let me be quite clear,
BLACKFACE is, was and will always be a thoroughly racist concept
that should always be condemned.

I went to great lengths in my documentary last year to explain the roots of minstrelsy,
so I would have thought certain journalists and outlets would
clearly understand my thoughts on the matter.”

Related Explained: Supergirl’s Legacy & What Made It a Groundbreaking Show on The CW Supergirl offered a new idea of who a superhero is, effectively becoming a role model for its viewers.

Harewood said in the same Threads post (edited for spelling and grammar):

“At NO POINT, during my interview did I say BLACKFACE is in any way legitimate.
Do I believe roles can be played by different genders? Yes. Do I believe roles can be open to all races? 100%.
But BLACKFACE is a whole other ballgame,
and
the implication that I am OK with it makes my blood boil.

The fact that this ridiculous story was
reported by the very same company that made the documentary is peak bulls—t.
What was written was garbage, clickbait, intended to inflame and misconstrue.”