LBCC Board of Trustees candidate Lee Loveridge publicly addressed the time he bronzed his skin for a Halloween costume on his campaign website and Facebook profile. According to Loveridge, he darkened his skin as part of his costume to portray former President Barack Obama.
Lee said that Obama is someone he greatly admires and voted for in 2008 and 2012.
He said at the time, he hadn’t considered the racial implications when he chose Obama as his costume, and instead wanted to demonstrate his support for Obama’s ‘08 campaign.
Loveridge repeated that Obama is someone who is “a hero” to him. He stated he was portraying Obama in a manner similar to Fred Armisen, the Saturday Night Live actor who often impersonated the former president as part of the show’s late night sketch comedy.
Loveridge said that months after the incident, he came across an article about darkening a person’s skin to depict a celebrity and why it is considered offensive.
He stated that his “heart sank” when he read that article.
The conversation around coloring a person’s skin to impersonate a person of color has come up in public discussion, as bloggers, social media influencers, and celebrities have come under public scrutiny.
While Loveridge said he was not attempting to insult anyone, he understands that the act is considered disrespectful, even if the idea was meant to pay homage.
Loveridge said that when he entered the running for the LBCC Board of Trustees race, he wanted to address the issue. He said he was asked if he had done anything embarrassing, and that he was honest about wearing a bronzer to depict the former president.
He said this is partially why he believes he didn’t receive the faculty association’s endorsement.
One of his competitor’s in the race, Herlinda Chico, addressed Loveridge’s announcement.
Herlinda Chico, who shares the faculty union endorsement with Dick Gaylord, said “Darkening one’s skin to portray a person of color is wrong. However, I also believe in helping one evolve to be more culturally aware is also important,” after she viewed Loveridge’s campaign website.
“This is something that white people, including myself, need to realize. This is something that is just not acceptable in any setting,” Loveridge said in a phone interview.
Loveridge has 20 years of educational experience, and served as Vice Chair of the Southern California Association of Physics Teachers.
According to Loveridge, this is his first time running for public office.