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Permalink Reply by Bearclaw Manufacturing - Tedward on August 6, 2012 at 12:08pm

When I first started selling tools, I noticed that sale happened in 'bubbles'.  I'd get one very conservative order, like a pair of fans in some area I never sold before.  then a week after the fans arrived, I'd get poi and staff from a few blocks away, then poi and fans from the other side of the same town, etc.

I think, if anything, that the black community is actually more accustomed to being the source of new cultural memes and has a harder time accepting new trends from the outside.  Often, new things are dismissed as "white things".  At least that's how it was in Detroit.

Tea fairy recently went to Haiti where 100s of new prop manipulators were born.

Sass, one of the primary architects of the 'The Diamond', a 2004 entire Conclave dance at the burn actually moved to South Africa to be on TV there.  I think she's back in SF.  Very Black and proud.

I suppose I should point out that the Globe Trotters have been consummate contact jugglers for many years.

However in the interest of full disclosure, I run a talent management company whose numbers seem to agree with you.  Roughly 2% of our performers are black or "dominican", roughly 1/6th the national statistic, or 1/5th of LA county, or 1/3rd california.  Registration to the company is open.

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ModPermalink Reply by Martika* of MartikasMysticDesign on August 6, 2012 at 12:20pm

Hahaha I guess I never thought of the Globe Trotters as contact jugglers! 

I'm sad I have never heard of those two performers, probably because they are not living in the U.S.A.  I do plan to research more about their path in this community.

Yes, I do agree, many times I've heard from black people that what we are doing is a "white" hobby, I feel if there were more of us in this community it would change minds. 

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Permalink Reply by Bearclaw Manufacturing - Tedward on August 6, 2012 at 1:05pm

TeaFairy isn't a hooper.  But she's been in LA for a decade that I know of.  She travels a lot.

I think what it's gonna take is for some icon to do it, like p-ditty, or even kanye.  someone subtle like Janet J could possibly start an underground thing...

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ModPermalink Reply by Martika* of MartikasMysticDesign on August 6, 2012 at 1:44pm

OH Gosh I hope not, they are not the best Icons people need to hear from. I guess it would also take people realizing that our current mainstream "icons" need a reality check,  in my opinion. Gabby Douglas would be a great example of what a black community "icon" should be not rappers.... Sorry I'm getting preachy.

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Permalink Reply by Bearclaw Manufacturing - Tedward on August 6, 2012 at 2:05pm

I wasn't going for "good" (hate Kanye m'self), I was shooting for "effective".

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Permalink Reply by Bearclaw Manufacturing - Tedward on August 6, 2012 at 2:06pm

Hmmm, can anyone teach Samuel L Jackson to juggle?  :)

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StudentPermalink Reply by Nicole Colindres on August 6, 2012 at 4:21pm

I was thinking about this recently....actually after seeing one of your pictures! It's funny...you would never know it but my mother's father was half black....making me have a little drop of black myself. I'm also 1/2 Guatemalan and 1/4 Irish. A diverse mix... I'll read the article now =)

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