[Dixielandjazz] politically correct?

[Cebuisle2 at aol.com]

Hello I 
 
How does one keep political correctness out of jazz performances today? I  
enjoyed Rick Knittel's description of a jazz funeral he played. The deceased had 
 a special fondness for the "Darktown Strutters Ball"  which is one of my  
favorites also. Our occasion was a "freebie" for the United Way banquet.  (more 
on "freebies" later)   I suggested playing the "Strutters"  (heck, I had put 
the group together a year earlier) and the clarinetist  immediately objected as 
there was an African-American in the room. We weren't  planning to sing 
it-just play it. I scratched the song from the set.
 
How do you active musicians handle this? Do you toss all tunes that  have any 
racial connotation "Black and Blue": comes to mind - along with a whole  host 
of jazz standards used by Bessie Smith et.al.  
 
Just wondering------
 
                                                                             
Tradjazz