"The Britannia coconut dancers date back to the 18th century" "In point of fact not so. Various morris dancings per se go back a long way in the area, but the furthest back this particular manifestation has been traced is 1857."
Whatever other reasons there may be for blacking up, anyone who decides to do it has a duty to think about the minstrel influence carefully, and anyone who merely cites tradition and refuses to consider his position is not acting responsibly. If dancers do decide to continue their practice in full understanding of the issues then fair enough (though I'd hope they would take pains always to try to set a context, to proceed with caution, and where necessary to compromise). But sadly there is plenty of evidence on this thread that many will merely dig in their heels.
I get a strong impression at some recent posters have not actually read the thread. Far better informed people than me have explained the complexity of this below, and it's very sad to see people still claiming the tradition excuse (since when was tradition more important than fair play, by the way?), and still equating black face in England with white face in Africa - where there was never any taint of lampooning.
A few broad-minded people of colour expressing interest or support to dancers tells us nothing about the thousands, millions, who may feel very differently, but say nothing - not least because they saw the faces on TV or in newspapers and made their own assumptions.
This is not just about giving offence (though that would be reason enough for change), but about providing ammunition to those who want to subvert English folk culture for political ends. So even if you're one of those heard-hearted people (usually well-provided males) who honestly don't care who they offend, you need to think about that. And if you still decide it doesn't matter, then be aware that a few years down the road the general public may be putting you in a box you'd rather not inhabit. (And as for those who enjoy being that box, well, we'll see you at the polling station).
And can I just finish with a word of support for bleeding-heart liberals? My great great grandfather William Bliss was a philanthropist and a Utopian Socialist who, like Salt, Cadbury, Owen and Rowntree took pains to treat his mill workers decently. Another ancestor, Ebeneezer Howard, inspired and guided the Garden City Movement (which influenced slum-clearance and the development social housing) - and I'm proud to be descended from both these non-conformists. They understood the link between habitual attitudes and political freedoms - a link that's as important today as it was back then.
As you enjoy the 21stC England, one of the nicest places to live in the world, spare a thought for the bleeding-heart liberals who abolished slavery, gave women the vote, outlawed dangerous work practices, invented the NHS, gave us pensions, unemployment and sickness benefit and all the other trappings that only the deeply selfish would take for granted.
The is not about political correctness gone mad. It's about learning to take responsibility for our actions.
Lets not forget - this happened around a public event at a primary school. There are ways it's sensible to proceed in those situations, and ways that are not.
The head teacher made a small understandable error, which she tried to correct, and when she couldn't she did the responsible thing.