The Blackface Drama

So, the Virginia governor is under a lot of pressure to resign the office because of a picture of two people standing next to each other, one in blackface and the other in a KKK type outfit, in a yearbook, on pages dedicated to the governor. There are several innuendos with the picture and one can assume that since the picture of the two individuals is on the yearbook pages with the governor’s name and his picture, that one of the individuals in the picture is the governor. Although now, the governor is saying that this picture is not him, but he does admit that he had been in blackface once before when he was trying to imitate Michael Jackson.

In 1983 while stationed in Scotland I was invited to a play in the town of Arbroath that was being put on by a local group. I agreed to go and check it out having no ide what the play was or what it was about. I figured it would be some theater ply and it would be something fun to do and meet some of the locals.

As I walked in the theater the crowd suddenly got silent. Being the naïve sailor that I was I only assumed it was because 1) - I was a sailor from the base at RAF Edzell and/or 2) - I was a person of color (probably didn’t help I was wearing some off-white colored 3-piece suit). Anyway, I noticed the silence but paid it no mind and went to my seat with my date. The Seats were stage center, third row back.

As the lights dimmed and the curtains opened, I just stared. I could not believe what I was seeing. My poor little brain was having a hard time processing what my eyes were witnessing and all I could say – in typical sailor speak was “What the f###!”. On stage came 4 or 5 actors in blackface with white around their mouths.

They started speaking in their version of the stereotype black southern house servant. I couldn’t believe what I was watching. I thought this type of play had gone by the wayside in the 50’s or 60’s. I had seen some of this on television when I was young on cartoons and weekly shows and had read about it in books but never did I dream I would actually see something like this in real life in the 80’s.

I can tell you my emotions were all over the place. I couldn’t believe it. It was just wrong. I was angry. I almost got up and left but pride – proud of who I was – made me stay, watch the play and try to understand.

Were these people that far out of touch or just insensitive?

So, believe me, I understand the anger people are feeling towards Governor Northam. Was the governor wrong? Yeas. Has he changed? I hope so.