Because newspapers, and in this case the left wing do gooders, mock offence actually has some effect on the opinions of people who like to be oh so bang on trend. In time their ill conceived rhetoric actually begins to become part of the fabric of society if left unchallenged, which in turn...
To sensible thinking people, yes. She was not dressed up as a golliwog, nor as a B&W minstrel, but as a celebrity, namely Whoopi Goldberg.
How would you prepare your costume so that you had some resemblance to Whoopi?
No you do not. You just have to be a normal human being who does not look for the wrong in everyone, and everything.
Please come back when you have grown a spine.
As you said earlier, 'early 20th century', it is now early 21st century, how long should we keep apologising for?
Do you advocate the current British government paying compensation to the descendants of slavery?