COLORADO SPRINGS — A white Colorado second-grade student who wore black face paint as part of a Martin Luther King Jr. costume has drawn criticism from school officials.
Sean King was pulled out of class Wednesday for the costume, which was for a project requiring students to dress up as a historical figure.
The Colorado Springs boy says he was trying to honor the slain civil rights leader.
His parents knew about his costume and came to watch the presentations.
Blackface was common in minstrel shows in the 19th century and featured white performers playing stereotyped black characters.
Steve Klein of The King Center in Atlanta told KRDO-TV the youth apparently had good intentions. But he said Sean and his family need to understand some people are still offended by white people wearing blackface.
