jagardner@watmath.UUCP (Jim Gardner) (06/14/85)
[...] About black detectives: Have none of your friends ever heard of Boston Blackie? This man was the hero of a radio show that aired (I believe in the late 30s, early 40s). A black detective from Boston, of course, and as brilliant and hard-hitting as one would expect of a PI in that era. Now the 20s was a little earlier than that, but if the entire country could accept a black detective in the 30s, I suspect that he could get enough acceptance to make a living in the 20s. Jim Gardner, University of Waterloo P.S. Acceptance is not the same as respect, and he would be operating under serious resistance much of the time. It is possible that your GM just wouldn't want to go through the hassle of playing a thousand and one black-haters during every encounter. As soon as your character got out of the major urban areas, he would likely be confronted with a LOT of redneck opposition. And what kind of Cthulhu campaign doesn't get into isolated parts of Maine now and then?
ncg@ukc.UUCP (06/18/85)
Well, I rolled up this character for Call of Cthulhu who is fairly strong and very intelligent, but disgracefully ill-educated. I announced he was to be a black Private Detective, but the Keeper (GM) and other players expressed doubts as to whether a black would be permitted to carry a gun in that era, whether the professors should associate with me. What was the status of blacks in E.Coast USA in the 1920s? Should this be posted somewhere else? (net.rights.blacks.1920s) I'm just starting C of Cth - intriguing, aint it? -Nige Gale Now look what you made me do: I've swallowed my contact lenses.