Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 09:37:50 -0500 
From: David Schroeder <ds4p+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Through a looking glass, darkly

Greetings good gentles,

Martin de Mont Blanc (mka Alex Tewes) asks why so few black faces 
are seen in the SCA in the States...

There are SOME blacks in the SCA in the States -- three peers of the
East, a  Pelican and two Laurels -- are black and I know of a knight/
former king of Calontir who is also. 

My guess, as an interested observer of the SCA and as a budding
social scientist is that there are few factors selecting OUT black 
members, but many factors reducing the number who select themselves IN.

Part of it is that "The Middle Ages" is a mostly white "fantasy."
For all that people from of different races were a part of the
_reality_ of the Middle Ages they aren't part of the fantasy.
Therefore, knights in armor and such don't capture the hearts
of romantic American blacks like they do romantic American whites.

Four other thoughts -- first, I believe that "insatiable reading" is 
a trait that is highly correlated with SCA membership -- and I'd
bet that such reading behavior is not equally distributed between
blacks and whites in this country.  

Second, I would also surmise that whites' attitudes toward their
friends who are SCA members is "amused tolerance" while blacks' 
attitudes toward other blacks who are SCA members might be more 
derisive -- as in "why are you doing a stupid thing like that?"  
Many whites _do_ get similar reactions from their families and 
friends, I'd just bet that the proportions are higher for blacks.

Third, I believe that we, as an organization, are more successful
at recruiting people who are _like_ ourselves, which makes it hard
for a mostly white group to have any luck recruiting black members.
Heck, we sometimes can't even recruit people who ARE more like 
ourselves.

Fourth, I believe the SCA is particularly attractive to people who
are a bit "odd" by the standards of conventional society and that
the SCA functions as a supportive community for people who don't
have strong senses of "belonging" elsewhere.  Highly educated
blacks -- who might find the Society appealing -- might not need 
the SCA for their sense of community because they would tend to 
find it more in their families/religion, etc.

When larger numbers of blacks have been middle class for another
generation perhaps we will be more successful in increasing the
number of SCA members who are black.

  This missive is offered in the spirit of exploration and
  increasing my/our understanding.  Apologies in advance if
  I have, in any way, offended anyone.  Thanks.

How successful has the SCA in Lochac been at recruiting 
'native Australians' ?  

Also, on yet another Bertram-esque semi-tangent...

  How often do folks chose personas that are _connected_ to their
  actual racial/ethnic background, versus the stereotypical 
  "blond samurai" ?

Happy holidays to one and all -- my best -- Bertram

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Bertram of Bearington                                      Dave Schroeder
Debatable Lands/AEthelmearc/East               Carnegie Mellon University
INTERNET: ds4p@andrew.cmu.edu                         412/731-3230 (Home)
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