I was having a conversation with an older (65-70 years old) black man about black-face. I told him I didn't understand why a white person couldn't dress up as a famous black person for Halloween and wear skin darkening makeup if the intent is good. He told me about being in the Army in the Southern U.S. in the late 1960's and having to walk around to the back door of a restaurant to get food with the other black men while the white men went to the front door. He felt that any black-face was an intimidation tool towards black people. I explained that I was young enough to have missed that time in history and felt it was wrong for someone to misjudge me based on the actions of people in the past. He held firm in his belief. While I understand his trauma, I think modern society should have moved past true connecting black-face with dress-up by now. I think the same thing about being able to discuss the word nigger in context.