Whitman sisters

The Whitman sisters to me represent two things. Progress and Regression. The Whitman sisters were able to pave the way for blacks that followed in that they brought a new aesthetic to the dance world and enabled whites to “see” Blacks in a different light. However the Whitman sisters decision to perform in Black face is something I struggle with. Black face for me is something that engenders a lot of anger and frustration. It is the exaggeration and mockery of a state of being. Being Black is not something that can be wiped off each night after a performance. The application of tar, or paint to ones face in order to achieve Blackness is rather unsettling for me. To me my “blackness” is something I wear daily on my face. My skin color is not something I see as comparable to the makeup of artists.