do y'all wanna hear a little bit about racism in the circus/aerialist worlds or

i just don't see anyone talking about it. most aerialists are on instagram rather than here, so lmk

ok let's go: the history of circus in the US is full of racism. Y'all see The Greatest Showman? with Hugh Jackman? Who researched all of P.T. Barnum's character, read 37 books and still called him a man "who celebrates diversity"? That was some whitewashed PG-rating bullshit

Barnum was a man who purchased and sold slaves after abolition, exploited all POC and disabled people, and perpetuated the worst black stereotypes to white crowds for ticket sales. The woman whose exploitation launched him to fame was a disabled black woman named Joice Heth.

https://www.aerialphysique.com/post/amplifying-underrepresented-voices-in-the-aerial-world?fbclid=IwAR23pDq3dPtFVB6o4HxdbUodZDUbBwNX9PwX2cbu6qlTxa_ZTL1YxnQLxLg

just found this too~!