I’d heard whispers about this film before seeing it, often described as racist. In fact, COMPLEX MAGAZINE placed it at number 4 on their list of "most racist movies." However, after watching it, I have to say it's considerably less offensive than anticipated. I wouldn’t even label it racist. The story revolves around a white student accepted into Harvard who finds he can’t afford the tuition. He then searches for scholarships, discovering that the only one he qualifies for is intended for African American students. Consequently, he pretends to be black—complete with blackface and an 80s-style curly hairstyle—to secure it. There's naturally a sensitivity surrounding blackface due to early 20th-century films where white actors would portray Black characters in ways that mocked them and portrayed them as foolish. But to simply call this movie racist based on that alone feels overly simplistic. While the character does wear blackface, there’s no malicious purpose behind it. Furthermore, he gains some understanding of racism throughout the film's progression. I would suggest that it might be more critical of white people and perhaps a general white view of Blackness (at least as it existed then) than it is of Black individuals. Though even that feels like a bit much to say. Perhaps I’m overanalyzing things, since it's intended to be a comedy. And as a comedy, despite a somewhat shaky beginning, it functions pretty well. It’s certainly not a masterpiece and could have benefited from some trimming—maybe cutting 15-20 minutes—but overall it’s an enjoyable and fairly innocent film that manages to deliver a worthwhile message while also eliciting occasional laughter.

Source on TMDB