Morris dancers abused because of their "blacking up" tradition



A group of traditional Morris dancers were "forced to abandon" a city centre performance on Saturday after they were threatened and accused of being racist for painting their faces black.

Witnesses claim the group, from Alvechurch, were heckled and threatened by a minority of onlookers during performances on Corporation Street and New Street near the Bullring.

The dancers were one of more than a dozen Morris groups who were in the city centre on Saturday to celebrate Plough Monday – the traditional start of the agricultural year.

Witnesses claim the Alvechurch group arrived at 11am and had performed without incident in pubs, to groups of local and visiting football fans and to the majority of shoppers.

The issues began when they started dancing near to the Bull outside the Bullring and later near to Marks and Spencer. They were roundly abused and threatened with violence.

One lady was particularly angry and a group of young men started to become very abusive and confrontational, accusing them of being racists, which of course they are not. They started jumping in between the dancers and knocking off their hats.

The dancers tried to explain why their faces were painted black, but they would not listen.

Morris dancers have performed with black face make-up since the origins of the dancing tradition in the 16th century. Known as "Border Morris" the tradition sees performers wearing black paint in order to disguise themselves.

One theory is that it started when impoverished 16th century farm workers had to conceal their faces to avoid being recognised while begging during winter, as asking for money was illegal.

SOURCE