~1961. Our kindergarten class performed the timeless classic: “Little Black Sambo”....in blackface. Oddly, it wasn’t a big deal. No one was triggered or needed a safe space or emotional support animal, although one girl cried a bit when they were applying the burnt cork. She was afraid her parents wouldn’t recognize her.
I played the lead role.
As Sambo had to undress in order to appease the hungry tigers, offering each tiger an article of clothing in exchange for his life. I had to wear a black leotard, with “tighty whitie” shorts under my “clothes” IIRC, the most embarrassing part to me was the leotard. Not so much because it was black, but that was something girls wore. I guess that makes me not only steeped in racism from a tender age, but a cis-gendered homophobe as well. I was not just in blackface, but entire blackself!
I believe the show ended with pancakes.
Yikes! Today they would fire and prosecute your teacher and make you have sessions with a headshrinker!