OK, I confess. I appeared in blackface circa 1951.

[trof]

I was in a fundraiser stage show revue for my grammar school in Birmingham, Alabama (I know, I know).
I was 10.

I wore a wooly wig, blackface, white gloves; standard minstrel show costume.
I sang the Hokey Pokey in front of a chorus line of young girls, also in blackface, who performed the dance as I sang.

I'll never run for political office.
Oh, and I wouldn't do that again.

[rampartc]

1. my deepest condolances, trof

another promising political career ruined by youthful indiscretion.

[trof]

2. Ain't it a shame?

[maxsolomon]

3. forgive them, lord; they know not what they do

your teachers don't get a pass on that one, though...

[trof]

5. Well, it WAS before the enlightenment.

In 1951 Birmingham we had colored and white drinking fountains in the big downtown department stores.
Colored and white rest rooms, IF the coloreds were lucky enough to even be provided with a rest room.

Same for train and bus stations; colored and white waiting rooms.
Separate seating/accommodations on trains and busses.
Of course all the schools were segregated.
By law.
"Separate but equal" bullshit.

It was a bad time and it got a lot worse during the freedom rides.
And the black church bombings.

It's somewhat better here now, but not as much as I would like or as is needed.

[Jokerman]

4. There were a couple of Halloween costumes in college that I'm not proud of today.

I wore a Rasta hat with dreadlocks once but at least I didn't wear blackface. The "bandito" one was insensitive as hell though and for that, I apologize.