Some white University of Montreal students who wore blackface and (in at least one case) Paul Frank monkey shorts to an Olympics-themed "sports and physical activity awareness" event were not trying to be racist (or insult Germans), guys! They were actually honoring a Jamaican running legend.

The students, who attend U of M's business school—"where established and future managers come to acquire much sought-after skills"—were just trying to pay tribute to Jamaican sprinter and Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt. The director of the committee that organized the awareness-raising event told CBC News that Bolt was the group's "ambassador," so they decided to wear green and yellow, just like how Bolt wears when he's running. And because Bolt has dark brown skin, they also had to dark-brownify their skin! Makes total sense. (Judging from this video of the cheering, chanting crew, Jamaica's official, national hat and stuffed animal must be the Fake Rasta-Dreadlock Cap and the Green Monkey Plushie. Okay!)

A spokesman for the business school also defended the students, telling the Montreal Gazette that they "certainly didn't want to offend anyone, it was really in the spirit of the Olympics." There was literally no way the students could have not worn blackface to this event.


McGill law student Anthony Morgan, who's of Jamaican descent, did not catch the Olympics spirit or feel his heart swell up with pride for his fastest countryman when he encountered the blackface Boltses. In fact, their outfits made him feel humiliated and "invisible or less than a person," even though they went out of their way to befriend (i.e., point and yell at) him:

When one of the group members noticed Morgan, he yelled: "Look guys, we've got a real black!" He then turned to the crowd and continued chanting "Smoke some weed! Yeah mon! Yeah mon!"

The university's supposedly "looking into" the incident. Meanwhile, Morgan's considering filing a human rights complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission, because he has issues with behavior that reinforces outdated cultural and racial stereotypes and also these kids are fucking morons who deserve to be complained about by everyone they encounter, at least until they graduate.

[Montreal Gazette, YouTube]