A Georgia lawmaker has been forced to apologize for dressing up in blackface to be Kanye West next to his wife as Kim Kardashian at a “power-couple party” more than a decade ago.
Georgia State Rep. Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton) insisted the tasteless “poor decision” some 12 to 14 years ago was supposed to be a tribute to “one of the greatest music performers of that generation” — while suggesting a photo was leaked by a political rival out to destroy his re-election chances.
“Clearly it was a mistake, but it was nothing done with bad intentions or some subversive messaging,” Carpenter told the Georgia Recorder.
Georgia State Rep. Kasey Carpenter is up for reelection this year. Kasey Julie Carpenter/Facebook “I guess an election year is a good time to drop a racially sensitive photo of somebody,” he added.
“To take a one-off photo and paint me as some sort of racist is unfortunate,” he separately told Local 3 News.
Carpenter said the photo was taken at a Chattanooga, Tenn. bar when he was in his 30s, according to WABE.
While he admitted he made a mistake, he claimed in a formal apology posted on social media that he was only paying homage to Kanye, years before the rapper changed his name to Ye and spouted his love for Hitler. His wife dressed as Ye’s then-wife Kardashian for the “power-couple” event.
Carpenter admitted to dressing up in blackface at a “power couples party.” Kasey Carpenter for Georgia House/Facebook “Kanye West definitely has some questionable views on public matters,” Carpenter stated.
“He’s still no doubt one of the greatest music performers of that generation. In my mind I would think that this was how far we’ve come as a society. That if you respect someone, skin tone does not matter.
“That position missed the mark for many,” he wrote.
Carpenter is up for re-election this year and will be on the ballot in the May 19 primary election. The winner will face Democrat Quentin Postell, a college student, in the November general election.
“Instead of focusing on what you’ve done to help minorities, they want to post a one-off shot of something from 12, 14 years ago,” he said of the scandal.
