Coal Miners, or Blackface?

A diner at a Phoenix restaurant noticed this picture hanging on the wall. She asked about it, and was told it was an old picture of coal miners enjoying a drink after a long, dirty shift in the shaft. (I can't tell you how proud I am of the phrasing in that sentence.)

She disagreed. She said it was racist, white men in blackface mocking African Americans.

Who's right? Who gets to determine whether something is offensive? CLICK HERE to read the article about it, from her perspective.

(And thanks to esteemed listener Aaron H. for pointing me to this article.)


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