The church of which I was a member sponsored each year a Minstrel Show, which attracted good numbers, and made a bit of money. During my High School years, I became one of the very best of \u201cend men\u201d for that show. In that role, I covered my face with burnt cork, widened my lips with very red lipstick, learned the stereotyped words and speech of degraded black men images. The role engaged me as a dumb, helpless, lazy \u201cnigger\u201d, responding stupidly to inquiries from the \u201cm.c.\u201d, who of course, was a bright, white man, always leading the audience in laughter at my antics. Whatever the role required, I played it well, even singing and dancing to make fun of the stereotyped black man. Each year I looked forward to this role; it focused a lot of appreciative attention, admiration, and loud applause. Years later, when I learned to put the \u201cminstrels\u201d in their racist context, I realized that I had to work to replace all that stupidity which that acting had put into my head\/heart. I learned how to forgive myself, but I have never quite forgiven the church for condoning that conduct. That may have been the seed-bed of a later time when a more substantial disillusionment led me out of the church and organized religion. <\/p>\n
\tThe church also sponsored a Boy Scout troop; I went to one meeting with some friends, a session that was supposed to enlist us as members. All I remember of it, was that we stood in rows for what seemed interminably long, and I did not understand why. We were put through some simple \u201cdrills\u201d barked by a man at the front of the room. I had no inclination or desire to repeat them. I did not return for another meeting! It was probably the foundation of later rejections of regimented activity of any sort.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The church of which I was a member sponsored each year a Minstrel Show, which attracted good numbers, and made a bit of money. During my High School years, I became one of the very best of \u201cend men\u201d for that show. In that role, I covered my face with burnt cork, widened … <\/p>\n