gravesendmessenger@thekmgroup.co.uk

melody.foreman@archant.co.uk

Sir

I have lived near Gravesend for nearly 50 years. I have been proud of Gravesend's flagship status in terms of integration for many years, from the pioneer days of Pier Road (where I later nearly bought a house) to today. I am proudly opposed to all racists.

But Chantry School's actions in cancelling, without examination of the facts, a contractual booking of Motley Morris, a side dancing in the established English border tradition, because it made unjustified assumptions about their "blackface" traditional makeup, play into the hands of bigots. The face blacking is a tradition to prevent dancers from being recognised by local worthies and potential employers - in the border regions where the border morris style originated. It is echoed in blackface molly dancing from the East Anglian regions. The face blacking is not a racist reference to black skin.

White racists will now say that English traditions are being sacrificed, and that therefore they who value English traditions must fight back.

A pedagogue should have known better.


Yours, etc.


Richard McD. Bridge