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Nic Naitanui Wants Everyone To Learn From The Mistakes Of 'Blackface'

Now aware of blackface's origins, he won't accept the naivety.

West Coast Eagles player Nic Naitanui said he will not encourage or dismiss the blackface incident this week after being educated of its origins.

Naitanui tweeted about the issue after a mother painted her son brown on Thursday to emulate the AFL player -- who is his idol -- for a Book Week event.

Previously the West Coast Eagles star had shown more empathy towards the boy and mother, tweeting he didn't think the mother intended any harm.

On Friday Naitanui clearly felt compelled to set the record straight after learning of the origins of blackface.

Blackface came about in the 1800s when performers used black paint or shoe polish to depict a black character in the theatre. These characters often depicted racist stereotypes and perceptions, which were brought to a halt during the U.S. civil rights movement.

The Book Week blackface incident came about on Thursday when a Perth mother posted a photo of her son dressed up as the West Coast Eagles star on Facebook, painted brown with a black wig.

A Perth mother dressed her son up as AFL player Nic Naitanui for Book Week.
Fairfax: Twitter
A Perth mother dressed her son up as AFL player Nic Naitanui for Book Week.

The mother wrote she was initially concerned about painting her son because of extreme political correctness, but boasted about growing "a set of balls" which paid off because her son won the parade.

The post has been deleted.

As part of Book Week, children across the country were encouraged to dress up as their favourite book character or personal hero.

In another post on Thursday, the boy's mother said she had been called every name under the sun but also claimed she'd been inundated with messages of appraisal from other mothers.

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