I've always been of the opinion that there is nothing inherently racist about blackface. I will just qualify that though by saying, I'm not suggesting blackface isn't racist, only that what makes it racist is its historical context. And although other countries have at some point had some history of black minstrel shows, never has this been more pronounced than in the US where not only did it originate, but also happened within the back drop of massive oppression of black people. The point being, blackface is more understood to be racist within the context of American history. And you can demonstrate this simply by dressing up in white face. It means nothing because it's the historical context rather than the act itself that is more significant.
I remember people losing their shit over this picture (lol). Yet, it seems very likely to me that the person was completely clueless about the connotation and probably thought what he was doing was actually a good thing. I guess in today's global world, it probably is best to be considerate of other cultures where this is likely to cause offence, but I still think intentions matter, which is why I care less about incidents like this.
