This week The Uncle Junior Project takes a break from its regularly scheduled content to present new historical research called Entrapment to Entertainment which explores the incredible achievements of African-American sideshow artists, many of whom were born into slavery and later sold into the circus. Through a combination of articles and still imagery, The Uncle Junior Project profiles acclaimed performers such as PT Barnum’s Joice Heth and conjoined twins Millie and Christine McKoy. This virtual curation will be separated into 4 separate acts as following these artists throughout their lifetimes and delves into their rich histories: origins, career, experiences, and death.
The Uncle Junior Project is a sharing of research on the African-American circus community sparked by respect for the work of circus animal trainer Emmanuel Ruffin (aka Uncle Junior), who was instrumental in the development of UniverSoul Circus as well as a role model to artists of color. Describing her regard for the figure of Uncle Junior, the project founder and circus artist Veronica Blair says, “In a lot of ways, he is my uncle, and the uncle of all of us who defy cultural and social stereotypes by stepping into the circus ring. I am honored and privileged to tell Junior’s story, and the story of other performers like him.” Blair is now celebrating 10 years of the Uncle Junior Project (UJP) and she describes launching her documentary series as “a rebranding / re-launching to celebrate this milestone.”
This post was last modified on December 21, 2021 9:43 pm