"So with all that in mind and Up Helly Aa coming up soon, let me ask this question: what’s with all the blacking up? Year upon year at the torch-lit procession I see a few sqauds completely blacked up. It’s just a laugh, eh? Well here’s the deal.
The practice of “black face” was developed in the mid 19th century in American vaudeville. Black performers were not allowed to play in whites-only theatres, but their songs were good enough. So white singers would black up to sing Negro spirituals, earning a crust while the black singer starved. It was also used by comedians to do black characters, intent on belittling black people as stupid, corrupt and lazy.
Of course most people blacking up today aren’t doing that. It’s just a bit of fun. Well again there is a difference. If you are dressed as Barack Obama, for example, or Jimi Hendrix or The No.1 Ladies Detective agency, then that is one thing. You are dressed as a specific person and if done really well the black face is part of a specific costume. However if you just slap on the boot polish and a grass skirt (or a track suit and bling) then you are not simply being politically incorrect. You are buying into a historic system of vicious racism by saying “this is what black people look like.” You are as well just writing the word “darkie” on your forehead.
So on Transvestite Tuesday go ahead and black up by all means. I just ask that you know what you are getting into, and don’t just lazily throw PC in someone’s face if they have a problem with it. Sandy Nelson"
From 'Nelson's Column' by Sandy Nelson in The Shetland Times
