Briggs & Thelma Plum Cop Backlash After Naming And Shaming Racists

Indigenous Australian musicians Briggs and Thelma Plum have taken to Facebook to call out two Victorian men after a photo of them donning elaborate blackface costumes surfaced online.

As Music Feeds reports, the image of the two Ballarat men came to Briggs and Plum’s attention after it was re-shared by Victorian Facebook user Sis Austin, after she confronted the person who first uploaded it.

According to Austin’s Facebook post, the two men were dressed for “an ‘Aussie Icon’ themed party” and can be seen wearing blackface makeup, wigs, and Indigenous-style markings on their bodies.

Austin’s post soon came to the attention of Yorta Yorta rapper Briggs, who wrote, “Fuck these, dumb, redneck scumbags. Anyone who wants to stick up for this kind of bullshit can swiftly go fuck themselves.”

Addressing the backlash levelled at Austin after sharing the photo, Briggs added, “Anyone who wants to harass the person who originally called them out can direct all their attention to me.”

Meanwhile, Plum beseeched her fans to name and shame the two men, slamming them as “disgusting little boys who think it’s okay to paint their white bodies black and mock my people”.

Whilst Briggs and Plum’s posts mostly received support, a considerable backlash has resulted, with both Briggs and Plum receiving torrents of abuse on their official Facebook pages.

Responding to one commenter who called him a “petrol sniffer” and claimed his blackface criticism constituted “reverse racism”, Briggs informed the man he would be forwarding his comments to the man’s employer.

Several Aussie musicians have now come out in support of Briggs and Plum, including Hilltop Hoods who came to the defence of Briggs and fellow hip-hop outfit Funkoars, who expressed support for Briggs via Twitter.

Anyone throwing that ignorance at @BriggsGE, @nookymusic & @funkoars can go f**k themselves. Anyone throwing around ignorance fullstop.

— Hilltop Hoods (@hilltophoods) January 31, 2016

Reading some reckless internet today. It's making me sick.

— Hilltop Hoods (@hilltophoods) January 31, 2016

when @BriggsGE calls out racists the racists put the call out.. your fam has your back B ✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/qRBQTuUq6X

— The Funkoars (@funkoars) January 31, 2016

Heres "2 legends" thinking that it's cool to dress up in blackface (and body). Straya, where racism is "top stuff!" pic.twitter.com/M4Ho9SIj2f

— BirdZ (@MisterBirdZ) January 31, 2016

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.

Subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine

Subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine