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The “cake walk,which has been yearly one-half of the world*? supplyI of cotton and surely “cotton wasCompared with other minstrel araue-meats.This dance originated with, theves upon the southern, plantations of the United State*. Like many£ irj fact nearly all of the negro specialtieswhich ha ye become popular Ujgon T,t h# minstrel stage, the cake walk is the growth and development of the idiosyncrasies of the old-time negro slaves of the southern plantations. ButHhe cake walk differs from piost of the negro specialties in that it is a purely negro production, while.nearly alUth© so-called son^ and melodies a re, t production of #hite men, and wefq never heard upon the southern plantation until they had Been publicly sung by their white authors, who were, as a rule. Ignorant of the- thie negro character, hence were unable to inject into their songs the ’fceal charm which attaches to the ollt;j-fashfoned negro slave and ‘ leaves-the songs lacking that pathos and sentiment which is inborn in the negro.The cake walk, however, was slow in its development; starting from an incident, as it were, It gradually developed stage by stage, from a simple matter of a moment’s Tun for the fun loving negro until it became the great“negro quarter” entertainment of the southern plantation, v , %I3L * W * i *yIn. order thoroughly to appreciate and enjoy those old-time amusements one must be made to understandbo popular on the American stage forthe last few years, and which has re* . • .been introduce!, «.« the c«.-j J* c,Z. waTmof Europe, has an unique history Black Belt, not only on account ofa large amount invested in slaves but by reason of the vast production ofcotton and the profits accruing therefrom. Wealth, eduaction and refinement always go hand in hand and theintelligence and virtue of the women of the Black Belt were itsboast; while honor, hospitality and chiyalry among her men were acknowledged marks of distinction and admiration. In fact, the nearest approach to old-world aristocracy in this country was found in the Black Belt of the south and in the cities of Newr Orleans, Mobile » andCharleston and Savannah.lt;* The; negroes of the southern plantations were a happy-go-lucky race; It hey were grotesque imitators, you .could almost tell the characteristicsof the master by the conduct of the Tglave in his attempts to assume his inaster’s manners and habits. The ne-fro slave was also a character of itaste—he counted himself up or down on the social scale according to the number of slaves his master owned. He would treat with scant courtesy the negroes belonging to the poor er neighbors—the “poo’ whitte trash” was his contempt and the “free nigger” was his horror. The negro is of a very social nature; put him alone and he is a poor worker, he is also a poor player—I believe that he would rather w'ork in company than play alone; he does not like isolation, he wrants to dwell in community.To understand the negro thoroughly
Newspaper Details
San Antonio Sunday Light
San Antonio, Texas, US
Sun, Jul 09, 1905
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Wayne D.
NA, 03 Aug 2021
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