Kereem Morgan 163 - Whitman Sisters

Black face, crossing dressing, fair skin and died blond hair are all interesting attributes of the Whitman sisters. I must say, I definitely enjoyed the Whitman Sisters reading. These sisters certainly achieved in conserving their traditional values “as black women” while challenging racial and gender beliefs and perspectives of that period. Being able to own both their blackness and ability to pass as white, the Whitman sisters marketed their talents to both the black and white communities. Presumably the Whitman Sisters act, based on its popularity, must have been one of the most fashionable styles of performance at that time. Trendsetters of their time, these women, fair enough to pass within the white community, use their stability in society to challenge the stereotypes of blacks and to reenact the turnaround, to reinvent the idea of what it should be based on their perspectives. I admired the fact that these women, in order to make a statement, where risk takers. These were women behind the face paint and advocates of self –expression on stage. These women paved the way for other black performers because black performers prior to their mission paved the way for them. In a sense, they kept the cycle going. Agreeing with the author I would have to say that the Whitman sisters were ahead of their time solely with the acts they portrayed on stage. I would have a hard time agreeing that they were ahead of their time overall because there were numerous blacks domestically and internationally setting the stage, so to speak, in regards to black entertainment. The reading for me was very informative. I had never heard of the Whitman sisters until now and I am very pleased to read their story.