Facial Freezilitus:
A Legacy of Facial Discrimination
Denied fair housing opportunities,
Ted and Alma Scrunchem pose in front of their shanty
in the facially segregated town of Hackettsville.
Although both confronted years of discrimination,
Ted was the only one able to convey his anger facially.
Facial freezilitus child (center) blending in naturally with her straightfaced
classmates. Today, children of all faces can sit close to one another
and read books.
|
Underneath the veil of smiles, bulgerated cheeks and lovingly
crossed eyes of Facial Freezilitus sufferers lies a painful
yet inspiring story of unwavering dignity and pride in the
face of facial discrimination and injustice. In the 1930’s
and at the peak of poor face relations those with facial freezilitus
were spurned by vast segments of society. Denied fair housing,
employment and equal academic opportunities based solely on
facial characteristics, Facial Freezilitus sufferers took proactive
steps to not only be accepted into straight-faced society,
but also to educate the world on their plight.
Spearheading this movement were Ted and Alma Scrunchem (pictured). As proponents
of facial equality, this interfacial couple challenged theories of facial superiority
and were married in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1936. Shortly thereafter Mississippi
and other Southern states erupted in anger at this interfacial marriage and
during the 1937 U.S. Senate Committee on Face Relations, noted Facial Segregationist,
Senator Cleetus T. Bass stated, “Next thang ya’ll’ll be havin’ a
bunch half-this and half-that bifacial kids, runnin’ ‘round corruppin’ the
monds of our straightfaced banjo playin’ youngun’s.”
As Senator Bass predicted, the Scrunchems procreated and soon
Alma gave birth to Harvey, a healthy and happy bifacial baby
boy. This momentous occasion ushered in the first of many challenges
to facial superiority theories and encouraged the world to
gradually accept people of all faces. Today, with schools facially
integrated (pictured above) and facial injustice nearly a thing
of the past, both straight and goofyfaced people can look at
each other and honestly say, “There is only one face,
and that’s the human face.”
 |
