In a lengthy post on his social media accounts, David Byrne expressed his regret for appearing in blackface in a 1984 promo video skit for the now-iconic Talking Heads concert film, Stop Making Sense. The acknowledgment of this “major mistake in judgement” comes as the U.S. continues to grapple with its problematic history of institutionalized racism in response to the recent unwarranted killings of Black citizens by police and others in recent months.
As Byrne explained in his post, “Recently a journalist pointed out something I did in a promo video skit in 1984 for the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense. In the piece I appear as a number of different characters interviewing myself, and some of the characters portrayed are people of color. I’d just about forgotten about this skit and I’m grateful that it has been brought to my attention. To watch myself in the various characters, including black and brown face, I acknowledge it was a major mistake in judgement that showed a lack of real understanding. It’s like looking in a mirror and seeing someone else- you’re not, or were not, the person you thought you were.”
Byrne continued, “We have huge blind spots about ourselves- well, I certainly do. I’d like to think I am beyond making mistakes like this, but clearly at the time I was not. Like I say at the end of our Broadway show American Utopia ‘I need to change too’ …and I believe I have changed since then. One hopes that folks have the grace and understanding to allow that someone like me, anyone really, can grow and change, and that the past can be examined with honesty and accountability. ”
You can watch the clip in which David Byrne appears in blackface below:
David Byrne Stop Making Sense Promo Interview