The "Black Panther Challenge" Creator Discusses His Controversial "Caucasians" T-Shirt Experiment

Frederick Joseph, aka the founder of the #BlackPantherChallenge, which raised money to pay for thousands of children to attend Black Panther screenings, found himself in the middle of a social media firestorm this week, all because of a T-shirt he wore.

On July 29, Frederick wore a shirt that featured the image of a white man with the word "Caucasians" printed beneath it. The shirt's graphic was modeled after the notorious Washington Redskins logo, which features an image of a Native chief with the team's name below it. For years the logo has fueled protest from Native peoples and others who demand that the term "redskin," which has historically been used as a racist term for Native peoples, be removed from the team's name and the logo also be replaced. Counterprotests have also developed in favor of keeping the team's name, and the team's owner, Dan Snyder, has repeatedly shut down any hope for a name change. With this historical context in mind, Frederick wore the remixed shirt as a social experiment in an attempt to "expose the hypocrisy of racist logos."

After wearing the shirt for a day, Frederick turned to Twitter to share his experience. In one tweet, he said that a woman had referred to his shirt as "disrespectful," and he said that when he asked her whether the Redskins logo was disrespectful, she responded, "No, because that's the logo." In a series of other tweets, he reported that a white man had called him an "asshole" and that several white people had pointed and stared in distaste. He also said that a group of men had appeared to attempt to cross the street to confront him. This thread was accompanied by an image of Frederick wearing the shirt, which quickly led social media users to respond, some in positive ways and many in not-so-positive ways.

Since the social media image of Frederick wearing the shirt has gone viral, the conversation surrounding the removal of racist team logos has once again been ignited. In addition to the Washington Redskins's racist depiction of Native peoples, the MLB's Cleveland Indians, the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, and several other athletic teams feature names and logos that have been accused of exploiting and mischaracterizing the image of Native Americans without regard for their feelings. These teams have continued to combat negative press and protests, yet organizations like Change the Mascot have worked diligently to ignite this change.

Frederick Joseph spoke with Teen Vogue about his decision to wear the shirt, how people have responded, and why the NFL was the target of his experiment.

__Teen Vogue:__ Do you believe you are receiving this much backlash because some white people might be ignorant about the racist history of the logo, or do you believe they understand its history but still don't care?

Frederick Joseph: I think it's a matter of both, but they all lead back to privilege. So whether you don't care, that's your privilege, and if you're ignorant, then that's willful ignorance based on your privilege. I'm happy that the conversation is getting more traction again now, but this is not new. People have been protesting for years. There are organizations dedicated to things like this, there are actually hashtags like #changethename and #notyourmascot. So this is not new, it's just that the way that whiteness works in this country, people don't have to care. And I just think it's interesting that the moment you kind of turn a mirror back on people, even if it's not exactly the same, people are all kind of frazzled and they're reacting in these very, to me, heinous and threatening ways.

TV: You mentioned on Twitter that white people were attempting to shame you for wearing the shirt. Often, black people avoid bringing up racial issues or engaging in this form of protest because they might be attempting to avoid this shame or guilt. What gives you the agency to disregard this and still speak out?

FJ: I was brought up in a pretty radical kind of family. I grew up reading Angela Davis, Malcolm X, James Baldwin, and stories about Che Guevara and people like that. That spirit and that kind of fight and vigor has always been a part of who I am. So I've never felt as if I had to lessen myself or take up less space in the metaphorical room. So this is just another example of that. I have as much agency to wear a caucasian shirt as a white person has to wear an Indians shirt or a Redskins shirt.

__TV:__ What has the response to your shirt experiment taught you about white fragility/victimization?

FJ: I don't think that it's actually taught me anything I didn't know. I've been black in America for almost 30 years now, so with that being said, I completely understand how white fragility works. I do think that this was interesting because this wasn't a one-for-one situation. The Redskins logo and shirt is blatantly racist, disrespectful, disparaging, so on and so forth. The word "caucasian" is not a derogatory term, and having a white guy on the shirt is not representing a white person in a negative light. So it's really interesting that people are reacting the way that they are. It's speaking to the hypocrisy, or, rather, trying to make people see the issues with the other logos. But again, it's not like the shirt says "crackers" or "honkies," or "whities."

__TV:__ Did you ever feel unsafe wearing the shirt?

FJ: I'm almost 6'3" and about 230 pounds, so for me I'm kind of just used to certain things. I wouldn't say I felt unsafe personally. That's why I put in the [Twitter] thread not everyone is 6'3", 230 pounds. So I did feel like if it was someone else wearing it, there could potentially be issues, especially outside of New York City. Because even in New York City for me to have these reactions, I can only imagine in rural Alabama or certain other places.

__TV:__ As a black man why did you find it important to speak out on an issue that does not necessarily directly affect black people?

FJ: I think it's important for us all to support each other, because what we're trying to break down and fight against is the oldest system in history, and it's one of the most methodical systems in history, and it's white supremacy. White supremacy isn't a black thing, it's not a brown thing, it's not a gay thing, it's a thing that affects all of us in its own ways. To be able to chip away at it and change that system or even destroy it eventually, we have to do it together, there's just no way to do it apart.

__TV:__ For those who live in places outside of New York City or who may not be capable of defending themselves physically against people, what other ways would you suggest they combat this hypocrisy?

FJ: We live in an age of digital activism, so I suggest that people start a petition, get out there, and call for support for the change of the name or the change of anything in this world. Also, to be frank, it's also not just a matter of changing things; it's a matter of stepping away from things and not supporting things anymore. For people who are saying that, "Oh, I'm a fan of the team and I wish they would change the name," well then look at yourself, why are you still a fan of the team?

__TV:__ Are you an NFL fan? Did the NFL’s recent policy, created to prevent the protesting of the national anthem, inform your decision to purchase this shirt?

FJ: I was a huge Giants fan for 27 years, and I've actually been boycotting the NFL for the past two years now. It's funny, I think I purchased [the shirt] the day of or the day after [the policy was announced]. There are so many issues with the NFL. It's kind of like this old system with people who are staunchly supporting it, and any way in which you want to change it, you're going against the values of America. So for me, whether it's concussions, or protest, or domestic violence, whatever, this shirt was a way of saying [that] this is another aspect of what's wrong with not only this league but generally how brands take advantage and disrespect culture

__TV:__ What advice would you give to people who want to buy and wear activist apparel, particularly from places that truly support positive movements? Did you research the place you purchased your shirt?

FJ: I can't lie, I don't know that when I bought the shirt I double-checked to make sure. But it was like a barbershop brand, it was like a mom-and-pop kind of thing, so I'm pretty sure. Generally, my advice to people, because this is something I do, you can easily do a Google search of certain things, like who owns what, where proceeds go. I don't donate to anything, buy anything, go anywhere, listen to certain things if they are adverse to my beliefs and my community. That even includes music as a prime example. If there's an artist who makes good songs but they're actively working against the progress of my community, I won't listen to it either.

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