‘I Just Wanted to Be Black’: Burger King Worker Sparks Outrage After Customer Spots Her Halloween Makeup

“I’m black today.” That was a white Burger King employee’s explanation when a customer asked why she was working the drive-thru with her face covered in black makeup on Halloween. When the Black customer pressed her about whether she understood the struggles Black people face, she reportedly said, “I just wanted to be Black,” before acknowledging that she did not.

Burger King told ABC 6 News that the franchisee was addressing the incident with the employee and management to ensure they understood why it was unacceptable and would not happen again. The company did not say whether the worker had been disciplined.

Online posts identified the restaurant as a location in Faribault, Minnesota. However, ABC 6 was still awaiting confirmation from Burger King when it published its November 1 report.

Earlier this year, Target pulled a Halloween costume after criticism that it resembled blackface and minstrel imagery. The retailer apologized and said the costume should never have been part of its assortment.

The customer questioned her explanation

The customer challenged the employee’s explanation that she “just wanted to be Black.” “Do you know the struggles that we go through as Black people?” she asked.

The employee initially said she did before changing her answer. “Yes, I do. I mean, no. I don’t. No, I don’t,” she said, according to reporting on the footage. Asked whether she thought the makeup was appropriate, she replied, “As long as you have a good heart.”

In its statement to ABC 6 News, Burger King said the franchisee was addressing the incident with the employee and management “to ensure everyone involved understands why this is not acceptable and won’t happen again.”

The company did not say whether a manager had seen the makeup before the employee began serving customers or intervened during her shift. It also did not disclose whether anyone had been disciplined.

Blackface has a history that a Halloween costume doesn’t erase

White performers used blackface to make Black people the punchline. As the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture explains, white performers in 1830s minstrel shows darkened their faces to mock enslaved Africans. They exaggerated Black people’s appearance, speech, and behavior, spreading racist stereotypes that helped justify denying them equal rights.

The museum notes that people criticized for wearing blackface often insist they meant no harm. The employee offered a similar defense when she said, “As long as you have a good heart.” But that doesn’t answer the customer’s question about whether she understands the experiences of the people she’s portraying.

In 2018, Megyn Kelly similarly questioned why wearing blackface for Halloween was racist, citing costumes depicting particular characters. She later apologized and acknowledged blackface’s history.

The employee can wash off the makeup after her shift. The Black customer questioning her doesn’t have that option when it comes to the racism she encounters. That is what makes “I’m black today” such a dismissive explanation. The employee treated being Black as a Halloween costume, then left a customer to explain what she had failed to consider.

Burger King says the franchisee is addressing the incident, but it hasn’t explained whether a manager saw the employee’s makeup before she began serving customers or how management responded afterward.

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