Morris dancers accused of racism for black faces
BIRMINGHAM’S famous Beorma Morris dancers have been accused of racism for the black face they adopt in a tradition stretching back centuries.
A row has broken out after the long-established Kings Heath group appeared at the Lichfield Festival of Folk.
Lichfield resident Isobel claimed she was offended dancers’ black make-up.
“It is a mockery, an offensive depiction of the black man or woman telling a story of savagery and oppression,” she said.
But the dancers have been painting their faces black for years and the Verma by the make-up does not denote or race in any way.
“We are not, and never would be, racist,” said spokesman Tony Roberts. “In no way are we imitating, let alone mocking black people.”
Ms Verma was not convinced. She said she grew up in Lichfield and had “always enjoyed the sense of community and the coming together to celebrate tradition and wellness”.
“That was until the parade of people dressed in black face ascended to the streets,” she said.
“There is simply one word to describe what I saw at the weekend amongst the Folk Festival, and that word is racist.
“Not only is it offensive and racially insensitive to the residents of this ethnicity city, it is a disgrace to the reputation of Lichfield. I teach in secondary schools in the area in which my duty includes teaching our children what is right and what is wrong.
“It is our duty to set an example that human beings are equal regardless of gender, status or race.
“I want to believe this meant to offend.
“But that connotation, of what a black face represents, exists for a reason, the purpose of which was to mock, to dehumanise black men and women, to depict them as savages, no better than animals – and here we are, over 100 years later, allowing this to happen by passing it off as tradition.
“Black face was not is not a tradition that belongs in this city. It is a tradition that does not belong in history at all.”
In January another group of morris dancers was forced to abandon a performance in Birmingham city centre when they were threatened and accused of being racist for painting their faces black.
That same month Beorma Morris received a letter from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport which read: “We are fully supportive of this traditional dance. We are aware of a small number of complaints relating to the blacking of faces for certain dances. But, as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Goverment, Sajid Javid, recently made clear, there are no racial connotations linked with this tradition.”