Racist Origins of the Dunk Tank

 

 

Here's a little known history fact for you. The African Dodger was a game played at local fairs and carnivals during the late 19th and early 20th century. The goal of the game was to hit the target with a ball in three tries or less to win a prize.

The target in the game was the exposed head of a black person called "the dodger" because they would attempt to dodge the balls by moving their exposed head. The rest of their body was hidden behind a large sheet of canvas. An alternate named of the game was "Hit the Nigger Baby" or "Hit the Coon."

The racist and brutal game was famous across the country. Despite the dangerous nature of the game the dodger’s injuries went unreported unless they were critical or resulted in death. Some of the reported injuries were an incident when the dodger was struck in the face by a professional baseball player damaging his nose so badly it had to be amputated to save his life.

Another reported injury was when the ball struck a dodger in the mouth with so much force it knocked his teeth out and was lodged so firmly it had to be cut into pieces to be removed.

 Although deaths occurred from head traumas more blacks were actively recruited under the guise of earning a wage. Eventually the brutal game was banned but not without public outcry.

Throughout the years the game would evolve into the dunking booth game where balls are thrown at a mechanical target and a person sitting in the tank only falls into a tank of water and no one gets injured. My how the times have changed. The next time you see a dunk tank at a carnival remember it's racist beginnings.

 

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7 Tips To Help You Learn New Languages In 2022

 

Struggling with learning a new language? You may find the following 7 tips very helpful for getting the desired foreign language under your belt.

1. Start by writing the target language's alphabet. Below the letters, write the sound each letter makes in a way that makes sense to you. Begin every practice session by going through alphabet mastering each letter's sound. 

2. Find children's cartoons, songs and movies you're interested in and watch them. Make sure you find shows and songs you enjoy or at minimum don't find annoying. 

3. If you're a more advanced learner skip the kiddy cartoons and jump right into foreign films. Watching foreign films is a great way to learn cadences, vocabulary and about other cultures. Learning about the culture of the people whose language you're trying to learn peels back important layers revealing cultural sayings and deeper meanings that you just won't get if you're only trying to learn the language. Think of it as a package deal. 

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