Froshies paint themselves in blackface

A frosh event created a stir Thursday as students from Université de Montréal were filmed in blackface while dressed in the colours of the Jamaican flag. They chanted about marijuana and Rastafarianism. Playing up well-known stereotypes of the Central-American nation.

The costumes were in honour of the annual athletic week to promote student involvement in sports. But one Mcgill law student was deeply offended. He is considering filing a human rights complaint.

The Universite de Montreal’s sports and leisure committee explained that the first-year students were told to make a costume based on the Olympics. This group chose to depict Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

A Université de Montréal official is looking into how incidents like these can be prevented in the future.