The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks had a lodge in Newport at the turn of the 20th century, a popular social outlet for many of the town’s white men. The Newport lodge held annual minstrel shows as a fundraiser for the organization, and whole families participated in the fun. The man in blackface was a standard component of most minstrel shows in Newport and elsewhere.
Courtesy of James Logan Morgan Jr. and the Butler Center
From Watson, Tim, and Elizabeth Jacoway. Newport and Jackson County. Arcadia Publishing, 2016