“font-family: Verdana; line-height: 13px;”>Take it from Hootz the Clown: learning to read – and to enjoy reading – at an early age is no laughing matter.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“We have to motivate and encourage youth to read and to utilize local libraries starting in Kindergarten, in early childhood,” said Donald White, who has performed in St. Louis as Hootz the Clown for 15 years.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It’s important to develop a love of reading from an early age, because it usually carries through to the later years.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>White does his Hootz the Clown act in public schools and libraries. In his Read a Book Program, he does a 30 minute comedy and magic presentation.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It’s all geared toward getting their attention and stressing reading,” White said. “I did see the need to reach children and influence them in a positive manner. I knew reading is a problem for a lot of kids.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Reading
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>was an important part of his own life and personal development, starting with his childhood collection of comic books, “everything they are making a movie out of now,” he said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“My mom would tell me to go to bed, and I’d be under the covers trying to finish the story,” White said. “In school, my reading was always higher than grade level.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>White grew up in North St. Louis near MLK and Union, graduating from Sumner High School in 1973. He began to dream of a clown and magic act by watching children’s television, such as
“mso-bidi-font-style: normal;”>Captain Kangaroo locally produced Corkey’s Colorama and Captain Eleven’s Riverboat.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>He was a member of the live audience for the taping of one episode of Captain Eleven’s Riverboat. The studio was crowded and he was seated in the overflow area, but he did get to meet an actor who played some of the imaginary characters. That was when the entertainer bug bit him.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Later, he met a mentor in magic, Harold D. Russell, a pioneering local African-American magician, now deceased.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“We were very good friends. He instructed me in a lot of magic. He steered me toward the Society of American Magicians, and I became member,” White said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>In terms of being a black clown, however, he has pretty much had to go it alone. His community has not always been completely understanding or accepting.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“I’ve had neighbors laugh at me when I left house. I’d go speak to them and they’d be laughing. They thought I looked ridiculous, what have you,” White said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“Then, I’d go do a party and come home, and they’d still be sitting out front. They really had not progressed at all. At least I was doing something positive.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>Even out in the clown community, around other working clowns, White mostly goes it alone as a black man.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“It’s a scarce thing, not normally seen,” he said of black clowns.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>He did come across one other black man who does a clown character at a convention in Detroit. There was not a tremendous amount of exchange between the two men.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“He was just doing parties, no educational value,” White said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“We talked makeup. He shared what kind of makeup he uses. It was nothing intricate. He did a lot of balloons. I can do balloons, but I prefer not to. I prefer magic – educational magic.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>African Americans, of course, have had to overcome the American minstrel tradition, where white men put on black face and performed racist parodies of black men. Perhaps a black man in white face conjures up memories of the minstrel stage?
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“This generation doesn’t even know about minstrelsy,” White said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>“I use a clown-like character, but I’m not a minstrel. I’m promoting something positive, which is reading. And educators have overwhelmingly agreed my program has a positive impact.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>In addition to his live performances, White has published a book, Hootz the Clown Visits the Library, which is available in local libraries, and released a Hootz the Clown CD, I Like to Sing.
“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>He does have one remaining ambition, however, that dates back to his childhood spent watching television in North City. He said, “I’d love to see Hootz the Clown in a local TV children’s show.”
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“font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Verdana;”>For Hootz the Clown bookings, call 314-550-4162 or email
“mailto:Bae31399@aol.com”>
“text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;”>Bae31399@aol.com
