ORIGINAL JAMAICAN BOBSLEDDER COMES TO DEFENSE OF H.S. COACHES WEARING BLACKFACE PAINT COSTUME

A member of the original Jamaican bobsled team whooshed to the defense of the California high school employees who donned black face for their "Cool Runnings" Halloween costumes — adding that the overheated critics need to cool down.
Devon Harris, part of the 1988 Winter Olympics team that inspired the Disney film, said he was pleased when he saw Serra High School football coaches Brian Basteyns and Harold Seeley dressed as the team last month.

"We're flattered. We're not offended," Harris told station KSWB. "People are simply hyper sensitive when it comes down to race and racism."

DEVON HARRIS

Civil rights groups, such as the NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League, blasted the costumes as insensitive and unacceptable.

"Their decision to do that shows a disregard for the racial history of our country and for the role that blackface played in furthering racist images and attitudes," Tammy Gillies, director of the ADL's San Diego office said.

Harris discussed the controversy with his former teammates and none of the other men were insulted, so he called Coach Basteyns to offer support.

"I said to him, 'Listen, I think the only people you need to be worried about offending are the guys on the sled and at least three of us, cause I didn't speak to Michael White about this, but certainly three of us are by no means offended,'" Harris said.

Now, as a motivational speaker, Harris encourages others to embrace our differences and shares his inspiring journey from the Kingston, Jamaica slums to Olympic glory.

He said that he is not naïve enough to think that racism has vanished from Earth but feels that there are bigger, more important racial injustices that society should focus on rather than the coaches' outfits.

"Of course it's (racism) alive and well," Harris said, "but I think every time we brush up on anything race or ethnic, people just go off the deep end."