Burger King Under Fire After Employee Wears Blackface Halloween Costume at Drive-Thru, Says 'I Just Wanted to Be Black'

A Burger King employee has been filmed serving customers in blackface makeup at a drive-through in Minnesota on Halloween, prompting the fast-food chain to say the restaurant's franchisee is addressing the incident. The footage, recorded on 31 October, shows a white employee wearing dark makeup at the service window.

Customer Shavelle Devine challenged the employee about her appearance. In the video, the worker described herself as 'just Black today' and defended the makeup by saying it was acceptable 'as long as you have a good heart.' Asked whether she understood the difficulties faced by Black people, the employee appeared to laugh before acknowledging that she did not.

Burger King said it was aware of the footage and took the matter 'very seriously.' The company said the franchisee was addressing the incident with the restaurant's team, manager and employee, but did not confirm whether the worker had been dismissed or disciplined.

Customer Challenges Employee Over Makeup

Devine posted the video on Facebook. She asked the employee whether she believed wearing the makeup was acceptable. The worker maintained that having a 'good heart' made it acceptable.

Devine then asked whether the employee supported the Black Lives Matter movement. The worker replied: 'Well, no, I just wanted to be Black.' Asked whether she understood the difficulties Black people experience, the employee initially appeared to agree before correcting herself and saying she did not.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Devine described the incident as 'unacceptable, offensive and disrespectful.' She said Black customers should not have to explain why racist behaviour is harmful and criticised the staff's reaction, which she felt did not treat the incident seriously.

Devine called on Burger King to acknowledge the employee's conduct and the way the incident was handled. She said businesses had a responsibility to ensure customers and employees felt respected.

Burger King Says Franchisee Is Addressing Incident

A Burger King spokesperson told PEOPLE the company was aware of the video and took the matter seriously. The spokesperson said the franchisee was addressing the situation with the team, manager and employee to ensure everyone understood why the conduct was unacceptable and that it would not happen again.

The statement did not explain what action had been taken or whether the employee would face disciplinary consequences. Burger King did not publicly identify the restaurant.

Minnesota outlet Bring Me The News reported that the incident appeared to have taken place at a Burger King branch in Faribault, although the company has not confirmed the location. The outlet also reported that an AI-generated video purporting to show the employee being arrested circulated online. Faribault police said nobody had been arrested in connection with the incident, according to the report.

Blackface Has Roots in 19th-Century Minstrel Shows

The National Museum of African American History and Culture traces the first minstrel shows to the 1830s in New York. Performers used dark makeup, often made from burnt cork or shoe polish, to imitate enslaved Africans through exaggerated and degrading portrayals.

These performances helped spread racist stereotypes depicting Black people as lazy, ignorant, superstitious and prone to criminal behaviour. The Smithsonian museum explains that such portrayals contributed to the dehumanisation of Black Americans and helped justify the denial of their equal rights.

Blackface has since been widely condemned because of its association with these performances and the stereotypes they promoted. Its history is central to why using dark makeup to imitate a Black person is considered offensive, including when presented as a Halloween costume.

Burger King has not announced the outcome of the franchisee's response to the incident.