How the popular cakewalk dance was actually a mockery of white slave masters in the 1800s

Belle Montgomery

2nd Lieutenant
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Location
44022
You may have participated in the present-day cakewalk, a musical chair contest, where participants walk around a circle marked off with numbers, hoping that the number they get close to would be called by the emcee in order to win a prize.

Cakewalk, to others, refers to a task that can be done with ease but the actual history of cakewalk is far from easy.

It has a complicated past that illustrated how African Americans opposed their oppressors.

Though the exact year and actual origin of the dance is still debatable, historical accounts state that cakewalk is a pre-Civil War dance originally performed by slaves on Southern plantations.
First known as the “prize walk”, the 19th-century couple dance contest usually ended with a prize (often a well-decorated cake) for the couple with the best dancing skills.

And here’s how it was performed:
REST OF ARTICLE INCLUDING PHOTOS AND A VIDEO:
https://face2faceafrica.com/article...a-mockery-of-white-slave-masters-in-the-1800s
 
Back
Top