Fury Over Racist Black Cake in Sweden

Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, Sweden's culture minister, faced furious calls to resign after she was pictured cutting a 'racist' black cake designed like a naked African woman as the "cake" was displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm. she was invited to cut the cake which was designed like a naked African woman.

The Swedish minister cut pieces from the black cake, which had blood-red sponge and was designed to highlight the issue of female genital mutilation.

Despite the intentions of the bizarre cake, however, critics described it as a 'racist spectacle', and demanded Ms Liljeroth resigned for participating in the 'tasteless' event. The Association for African Swedes said the cake was a crude racist caricature which 'makes a mockery of racism'

Makode Linde, the artist who came up with the cake, had placed his own head at the top of the cake and said it had been misunderstood.

The black cake, part of an exhibition on World Art Day, was intended as part of the artist's project illustrating degrading stereotypes of black people through history.

Liljeroth, whose photograph cutting a piece of the cake was widely shown in Swedish media, said she understood why people would be offended by the incident.

She said in a statement: 'I was invited to speak at World Art Day about the freedom of art and its right to provoke.

'And then they wanted me to cut into the cake. I don't review art, but I can very well understand that this whole situation was misunderstood.'

Is this just a "tasteless" event or is it racism and racist caricature?  What do you think?