kusankusho Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Not quickly enough, if you ask me. You should have seen some of the looks a friend of mine got in some of the smaller southern towns we stayed in. We were all pretty ticked. Same thing happened in a smaller town here in Ontario a few months back. My friend looked at me and said "do you think I'm the only black guy in town?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelcanadian Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 QUOTE(bearz @ Feb 5 2007, 11:35 AM) Awhile back someone mentioned a story about that happening in Beaver Dam WI in the 70s. I was shocked...I didn't realize we had such blatant racism up north here in the 70s! I never saw it...I probably would have had a fit if I had...and I heard the corps members with that person had a fit that day too. SO glad those days are fading into the past. I don't know where or exactly when it happened - Kel will probably on here later and can fill in the details. Yes, it happened in Wisconsin. I think it was Beaver Dam but not 100% sure - we were all over the mid-west that summer and after a while the gyms and fields started to look the same. kel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12L Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Wow, I'm glad to see that this topic is being discussed...makes me proud to be a part of the drum corps community. Anyway, don't know if this has been asked yet, but who was the first black caption head in a top 12 corps? Also, have there ever been (are there now) any black Directors of finalist corps? (I don't know the answers to these, just wondering if anyone else does...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiamiSun76 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Wow, I'm glad to see that this topic is being discussed...makes me proud to be a part of the drum corps community. Anyway, don't know if this has been asked yet, but who was the first black caption head in a top 12 corps? Also, have there ever been (are there now) any black Directors of finalist corps? (I don't know the answers to these, just wondering if anyone else does...) Just guessing on the caption head, but Frank Williams of Suncoast Sound comes to mind. Can't think of any finalist directors, but Harvey Wingo, perennial DI championship judge also served as director of a DII/III corps in St. Louis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russellrks Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 (edited) Wow, I'm glad to see that this topic is being discussed...makes me proud to be a part of the drum corps community. Anyway, don't know if this has been asked yet, but who was the first black caption head in a top 12 corps? Also, have there ever been (are there now) any black Directors of finalist corps? (I don't know the answers to these, just wondering if anyone else does...) I'd like to know the answer to this one myself. I became the marching caption head for Spirit of Atlanta between tours in 1979 when Dave Bandy left. I did the re-writes in 1978 and 1979. I wrote my first complete top twelve show in 1983. Heck, I'd like to know if there have even been any since me. (Drill guys, that is) Edited February 6, 2007 by Russellrks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimisback Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 Darn good question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironlips Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 DCI Hall of Famer, Jim Elvord was brass caption head at Madison in the '70s, then Cavies, and SCV when I worked there in '80. If you include DCA and pre-DCI juniors, you'll find folks like Bill Hightower (St. Catherine's, Sunrisers, Lindenaires), Carver Alum, Gene Bennett (Sunrisers, LI Kingsmen, Bushwackers), Bobby Craig (Polish Falcons, Sac), Barry Swain (Wynn Center, also DCI judge)...etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted February 7, 2007 Share Posted February 7, 2007 "Cross the Line":One of the "First" junior corps that may have been a "Pioneer" in the integration of African Americans into the "Line" was the St Vincents Cadets. It is mntioned in their history of a trip that the corps took into the deep south (1950s), and their black members were cheered by the local blacks for their inclusion in the performance. Some of the great African American corps include the Wynn Center Toppers, CMCC Warriors, Carter Cadets, Manhattanaires, Privateers, and Spirit of St Louis. The senior Washington Carver Gay Blades of Newark NJ are also well remembered. Elphaba WWW Also History of Drum Corps has members talking about when the integrated PAL Cadets of Bridgeport, CT went down south and ran into problems with the locals. Corps mentality was we're all together and color means nothing. Spirit of St Louis was sponsored by an American Legion Post which I'm guessing was also all black. Not sure if the posts were segregated or the members starting the post wanted it that way. My home town had an all black post which still exists but not sure if membership is 100% black anymore. Post is named Ephriam Slaughter who was the last surviving Civil War veteran (of any color) in the Harrisburg area. PS - Pardon me if you don't like me using the term "black". It's what was used when I was growing up and it's what I'm used to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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