Grab, while I believe I am sane, I'm no more a voice of sanity on Mudcat than any other poster, and some would say I am less...

I took a break from this thread, but have read the comments with interest.

And I looked at the photos that you suggested and I still have an aversion to the whole blackening up custom.

To add mud to this water, the coconut site reminded me of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, a krewe {organization} of African Americans who as early as 1901 unofficially and later officially marched in the New Orleans Mardi Gras parade. The Zulu krewe throws out {or maybe threw out}painted coconuts instead of beads as the White krewes did. Pertinent to this conversation, the Zulus had the custom of blackening their faces. See this quote:

"It's been written that the early Zulus were a parody on the staid white celebration of Mardi Gras. Whether true or not, the Zulus did march to their own drum beat. They originally had members dress as females to serve as queen, and later, female impersonators "reigned" as queens, to finally having women as queens. Their queens were, and still are, toasted in front of Geddes, Moss and Willis Funeral Home. There was no macabre intent meant by this tradition. The Geddes and Moss Funeral Home played an integral part in Zulu's beginning and continued to do so throughout the years.

Zulus were not without their controversies either. In the 1960s during the height of black awareness, it was unpopular to be a Zulu. Dressing in a grass skirt and putting on a black face were seen as demeaning. Large numbers of black organizations protested against Zulu and membership dwindled to approximately 16 men. James Russel, a longtime member, served as president in this period and is credited with holding the group together and slowly bringing Zulu back to the forefront."

end of quote

Sorry, I don't know how to hyperlink:
http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/mardigras/zulu.html

Almost certainly the Zulu name is lifted from the South African AmaZulu ethnic group and probably was a compliment {think Chaka Zulu whose military genius is often promoted and not his [shall we say]far less endearing traits & actions...

It appears from the photographs on the Zulu website address given above and on other website on this krewe that in addition to dropping the custom of female impersonators, the Mardi Gras Zulus have dropped their custom of blackening up.

See other websites on the Zulus. Perhaps PoppaGator or someone else from New Orleans can verify whether the Zulus still blacken up and share more information on their traditions.

For my part, I have a strong preference for the Mardi Gras Wild Indian groups {their music and their intricate feathered outfits}instead of the Zulu group, and I wonder if the rise of the African American Mardi Gras Indian groups was another factor in lessening the number of Black men who chose not to join the Zulu krewe..

As ab aside, the Wild Indians remind me somewhat of the Philadelphia Mummers. I'm from Atlantic City, New Jersey which is very near Philly and which still gets the Philadelphia TV stations. Part of my childhold traditions was watching the Mummers' parade on TV every Thanksgiving morning. I don't remember the Philadelphia Mummers blackening up. I was aware that they were White, and remember hearing that they didn't allow any Black people to be in their groups.
I suppose this has changed. I can't say that I liked the Mummers banjo music...It was their outfits that I loved. I suppose in a number of ways the Mummers have had to change with the times in order to survive, just like the Zulu krewe appears to have done.