A photograph of a minstrel show held at Our Lady of Lourdes High School, Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, in 1962 The cast was made up of students from the school and several of the students performed in black-face.
The photo caption stated:
“I enjoy being a girl,” is the cry of Josephine “Joe” Vumbico as she leaps into the arms of an interested “Romeo.” embers of the chorus seem entranced by this flirtatious miss!
This post is part of a series in which news articles, photographs and other “memorabilia” are presented to show how “black-face” was infused into the culture of the Lykens Valley area. Readers are invited to submit photos and recollections on how long this offensive “entertainment” lasted and what locals thought of it as part of the culture of the area.
Typically, white men and women blackened their faces, and performed while emphasizing negative stereotypical behavior that they attributed to African Americans. The primary purpose was to get laughs. The practice was supported by prominent people in the community and often found its way into school-sponsored minstrel shows such as shown here.
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From the 1962 Grotto, the yearbook of Our Lady of Lourdes High School, available in digital form on Ancestry.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.