CHEERLEADERS IN THE 1960s : HERE COME THE SISTERS !

In 1960, cheerleading took another giant step. The prestigious National Football League opens its doors for the first time to professional cheerleaders. It is the Baltimore Colts who have the honor and the happiness to make this gesture which is both a recognition of the enviable status already achieved by cheerleading but which will also serve as a springboard for the evolution of this future sport.

The sixties were the battle of civil rights for black people in the United States. These times of uproar and confrontation will especially disrupt the lives of students on university campuses. In the American society, these are progressive places par excellence to feed the demands of blacks, who are more and more numerous in these institutions of higher education. 

In the south of the country, where they are still in greater numbers, blacks often protest against the fact that they are not sufficiently well represented in cheerleader teams. At certain hotspots in the United States, this will result in demonstrations, boycotts of classes and even riots.

The integration of the "blacks" in cheerleading will be done little by little but it will experience some difficulties due to the differences in styles. Because of their culture and genetic background, blacks are more adept at a rhythmic acrobatic style. Whites are more oriented towards figures or choreographies that focus more on the beauty and grace of gestures than on high-flying prowess. The marriage of the two styles will be very beneficial to cheerleading and it will later lead it to its peak.

In 1968, when this marriage began to bear fruit, another innovation helped to make the Pom Pom Girls show even more attractive: it was the vinyl pom pom created by Fred Gasthoff. Lawrence Herkimer, however, retains his rights (patent) to this sparkling object that so enhances and embellishes the "work" and the physique of the charming slap leaders.

In the photograph at the top of the article, we see a typical "home coming", a traditional welcoming ceremony made by the cheerleaders of the Baltimore Colts. This happened in 1959 when the Colts players returned after a game played abroad. In the photo montage below, you will be able to see in pictures the subjects I have just addressed. Also on a music of NFL movies, Times of Glory..