A writer for a sports blog called Deadspin targeted a child wearing face paint at a Kansas City Chiefs football game, attempting to smear the boy as wearing “black face.”
Sports Writer Attempts To Smear Child For Wearing ‘Black Face’ At NFL Game
The writer, Carron J. Phillips, posted a misleading picture of the child, showing only one side of his face.
X’s Community Notes explained the other side of the boy’s face was painted red, thus wearing his team’s colors for the game.
“The NFL needs to speak out against the Kansas City Chiefs fan in Black face, Native headdress,” Deadspin posted Monday.
“Blackface is the use of dark makeup to mimic and exaggerate the features of Black people in order to ridicule them. This fan’s face is painted red & black to support the Kansas City Chiefs. Facepaint is a popular practice at NFL games and is not related to blackface,” Community Notes stated.
The NFL needs to speak out against the Kansas City Chiefs fan in Black face, Native headdress https://t.co/9eGBsA8nca
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) November 27, 2023
Phillips wrote on Deadspin:
It takes a lot to disrespect two groups of people at once. But on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas, a Kansas City Chiefs fan found a way to hate Black people and the Native Americans at the same time.
ADVERTISEMENTIt was as if Jon Gruden’s emails had come to life.
The image of a Chiefs fan in Black face wearing a Native headdress during a road game leads to so many unanswered questions.
Why did the camera person give this fan the attention?
Why did the producer allow that camera angle to be aired at all?
Is that fan a kid/teenager or a young adult?
Despite their age, who taught that person that what they were wearing was appropriate?
The answers to all of those questions lead back to the NFL. While it isn’t the league’s responsibility to stop racism and hate from being taught in the home, they are a league that has relentlessly participated in prejudice. If the NFL had outlawed the chop at Chiefs games and been more aggressive in changing the team’s name, then we wouldn’t be here.
Despite receiving massive criticism, Phillips doubled down on his smear of the young Kansas City Chiefs fan.
“For the idiots in my mentions who are treating this as some harmless act because the other side of his face was painted red, I could make the argument that it makes it even worse. Y’all are the ones who hate Mexicans but wear sombreros on Cinco,” he wrote in a now-deleted post.
“The colors of the Kansas City Chiefs are red and black. The colors on the fan’s face are a reference to the team colors, not to races or skin colors,” Community Notes explained.
After the uproar, a popular Kansas City Chiefs fan group identified the child.
‘Real Kansas City Chiefs Fans’ said the boy’s name is Holden Armenta and he’s Native American.
From Real Kansas City Chiefs Fans:
UPDATE: During Sundays broadcast Holden Armenta from California a Native that belongs to the Chumash Tribe. His Grandfather is on the Chumash Tribe board up in Santa Ynez. This is his family at Super Bowl LVII. Everyone is making a massive deal out of this and only trying to show one side of his face to push their narrative. Real Kansas City Chiefs Fans Salutes You Holden And Your Family
*Image from ‘Real Kansas City Chiefs Fans’ Facebook*
“Everyone asked to take a photo with him. He’s Native American – people are ridiculous,” Shannon Armenta stated on Facebook.
“Odd to see my child on Fox News! Relieved that most people stand behind us!” Armenta said in another post.
You just can’t make this up… the kid that @Deadspin and @carronJphillips tried to smear for his costume and “black face” is actually Native American.
He should sue them into oblivion. https://t.co/XAyenORfQ6 pic.twitter.com/NAmzS2ykK4
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 29, 2023
BREAKING: The kid Deadspin smeared over false blackface and racism accusations is actually Native American
His grandfather is Raul Armenta, part of the Chumash tribe and a member of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
I hope Holden Armenta sues them all into oblivion. I hope… pic.twitter.com/cAKmr5beqq
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 29, 2023
Collin Rugg writes:
The young boy who was labeled as wearing ‘blackface’ by Deadspin is Holden Armenta.
His mother, Shannon Armenta confirmed that her son was the one at the middle of the controversy on her Facebook page.
It gets even better: Chiefs players saw Holden during the game and decided to join him with his tomahawk chop.
Black players were so ‘offended’ by the “blackface” that they copied Holden’s chop.
What an embarrassment for Deadspin.
WATCH:
JUST IN: The young boy who was labeled as wearing ‘blackface’ by Deadspin is Holden Armenta.
His mother, Shannon Armenta confirmed that her son was the one at the middle of the controversy on her Facebook page.
It gets even better: Chiefs players saw Holden during the game and… pic.twitter.com/jdIDhcul3Z
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 29, 2023
“This is going to cost Deadspin and the washed-up writer dearly,” one X user commented.
This is going to cost Deadspin and the washed-up writer dearly. pic.twitter.com/ESCAqAIovG
—
Larry
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.
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