Friday, February 27, 2015

When a Minstrel Show in Amherst "was considered a success"



To be precise, "considered a success both in its performance and numbers, as shown by about 350 in attendance."

The date: 1951. A few years before Brown v. Board of Education but well after supposedly decent and educated people should have known better.

Not even 65 years ago, but the distance between that time and this seems much greater.




ICYMI: Read the full story.

And afterwards, be sure to fill out the Amherst Together survey so that we can "advanc[e] community, collaboration, equity and inclusion."


Update (19 March)
Of course, it could be worse:

Belgium minister sparks scorn by 'blacking up' (CNN, 19 March 2015)

2 comments:

Larry Kelley said...

Well at least they said, "perhaps the last black faced minstrel show."

I vaguely remember one at my Catholic High School across the river in the 1960s.

Jim Wald said...

Really--that late? Wow.