Boot-Blackness?

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works...

-- Matthew 5:16

Over the past months I've been working with my very patient mentors, trying to learn my craft the best that I can. My basement is half full of old leather that I've been experimenting on, and I take every chance I can to practice.

But there are other aspects that I’m grappling with that don’t involve anything to do with boots.

I am trying to understand the history of bootblacking in my home town of Philadelphia. And I don’t mean history as in dusty old books about ragged children blacking boots on Victorian era street corners.

My questions are:

• Why do so few people know we exist?
• Why was it impossible for me to find a mentor within a 2-hour drive?
• Why are bootblacks an afterthought at Leather events, if we are invited at all?
• What is the origin of the myth that submissives/slaves/bottoms are the only people who can be bootblacks? How do we change that belief?

I want to make it very clear that my above questions are NOT complaints against the community or my teachers. I have received a tremendous amount of support and encouragement since I started my training, and words cannot express my gratitude.

But the fact is, it has taken me a lot of persistence to get where I am right now, and I would like to make it easier for the next generation of bootblacks to participate.

I’m sure there is a lot of background that I am missing. If you want to write to me here or privately (anything said will be kept confidential), and shed some light on things, please feel free.

I love serving my community as a bootblack. I know there are others out there who feel the same way but are struggling just as I have.

We have a talent that can help others in so many ways. We need to be free to share it.

I really think it is time for us to come out of the darkness.