Fined, man who blacked up and sang Mammy to black work colleague
A REVELLER who blacked up at a work Christmas do and sang an Al Jolson song in front of a black colleague was yesterday convicted of racially harassing her.
Brian Davies, 62, told Loretta Doyley he had a present for her – then appeared in costume from the controversial Black and White Minstrel Show, a court heard.
He danced around the table singing songs from the TV programme, with ‘ the majority aimed’ at his black co-worker, magistrates were told.
Mrs Doyley left in tears saying she felt purposely singled out, and Davies was later charged with racially aggravated harassment. Yesterday he was fined £120 for the offence.
Davies had organised the party for health workers from the Priory Group at a pub restaurant in Ely, Cardiff, in December, magistrates in the city were told.
Robert Reed, prosecuting, said Davies had ‘insisted’ Miss Doyley attend the bash.
It initially featured inoffensive games and quizzes but after a while Davies vanished with a friend before returning blacked up. He then sang a number of lines from songs from the Black and White Minstrel Show, directing the majority of it towards Miss Doyley.
Davies was captured on video in a boater hat, black gloves and white coat, singing songs such as Mammy, popularised by 1930s ‘blackface’ singer Al Jolson. He then sang and danced his way around a table of colleagues holding a white cane.
Giving evidence at court via videolink, catering worker Miss Doyley said: ‘I just felt really, really embarrassed.’
She told the court that everyone was ‘roaring with laughter’ as he sang and danced in the pub. She added: ‘ I couldn’t believe what he was doing.’
She turned to her colleagues, telling them: ‘This is not funny’ before leaving the pub in tears.
Directing her comments at Davies, Miss Doyley told the court: ‘You were mocking me and you humiliated me in front of all the people.
‘Everyone was laughing and I
‘Mocked and humiliated’
just saw them laughing at me because your actions were directed at me. You lied to me to get me there so for me you orchestrated all that…It was all planned. You sang Mammy. You sang a racist song from the Black and White Minstrel Show.’
She was supported by some colleagues but was told by another not to ‘get Brian in trouble’.
When Davies returned to work the following Monday, he told Miss Doyley: ‘I thought you were one of the girls but obviously I was wrong.’
The court heard Davies told arresting officers: ‘Are you serious, I only dressed up.’ He denied the performance was racially aggravated and said he was ‘dumbfounded’ by the allegations.
Giving evidence, he insisted he didn’t realise the Black and White Minstrel Show had racist connotations. ‘My mother and father used to enjoy it,’ he said.
But magistrate Ken Horseman told him his actions were ‘abusive and racially aggravated’.
Davies, of Barry, South Wales, was also ordered to pay £300 costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
The Black and White Minstrel Show ran on the BBC from the 1950s to the 1970s but was – latterly – controversial for its use of blackface performance.