There are plenty of folks who are from the dominant "white" culture in the US and Europe, who get really pissed off by the fact that their cultures are no longer homogenous, and no longer able to discriminate against minorities with impunity.

So in a pathetic, xenophobic attempt to turn back the clock to a time when they and theirs ruled their world, instead of all those dark skinned "foreigners" taking over with their "political correctness", these sorts of bigoted folks desperately grasp at the sorts of straws the Mummers are grasping at, claiming "our sacred tradition".

Time to move on. If you want historical authenticity, do as others have suggested for the masking--use something other than black face. It is simply too hurtful to blacks to justify it's continued use.

Living traditions aren't static, but ever-evolving. The Mummer tradition is a perfect example of how it could continue as a win-win situation, simply by changing the color of the face make-up.

Which begs the question, what are the true motives of the Mummers who refuse to change from black face to green or red?

Not pure as the driven snow, to be sure.