When Virginia Democratic Governor Ralph Northam was called out for wearing black face in his high school yearbook, is sparked a national discussion about the shameful history of black face and is impact on the psyche of people of color.
Nowhere is that debate more intense than in New Orleans where the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club members paint their faces black and don+ unkempt wigs every Mardi Gras.
The practice dates back to the early days of the 20th century when Zulu’s founders decided to use their outrageous costumes to mock white Carnival krewes and challenge racist stereotypes and caricatures of Black people.
The tradition has gained Zulu international attention and made it arguably New Orleans’ most popular organization.
But the tradition has not been without its critics.
In the 1970s some of the city’s Black leaders and residents boycotted Zulu because of the black face paint as the “Black is beautiful” era gained momentum.
In the late 1990s, Zulu member Dr. Morris F.X. Jeff Jr. wore a scathing letter to the organization after he and several guests were turned away from the Zulu Coronation Ball for wearing authentic African clothing rather than the customary tuxedos and ball gowns.
This latest controversy has led to a growing number of residents calling for Zulu to do away with the blackface tradition altogether.
“’Blackface’ minstrelsy was a racist and vile form of entertainment popular from the 1820’s through the 1960’s,” Zulu said in a statement. “Blackface minstrel shows attempted to mimic enslaved Africans on Southern plantations and depicted black people as lazy, ignorant, and cowardly. In fact, one of the most popular ‘blackface’ minstrelsy characters in America was ‘Jim Crow’ – the inspiration for the harsh and oppressive laws that terrorized Southern Blacks decades later. ‘Blackface’ minstrel performances were intended to be funny to white audiences and hurtful to the Black community. What is your feeling on the subject email me [email protected] and listen Monday-Friday to The Joe Dupree Morning Show as we dive into Hot Topics and Cool Conversation on Z-105.9/KFXZ and z1059.com