African dodger

African dodger, also known as Hit the Coon or Hit the Nigger Baby, was a carnival game played in the United States. In the game, an African American child would stick his head through a curtain, and attempt to dodge objects, such as eggs or baseballs, thrown at him by players. It was a popular carnival game from the 1880s up to the 1960s. The victims often suffered serious injuries. Smaller kit-based versions of the game were also sold to be played at home.

A Popular Mechanics article from 1910 noted that African dodger had become "too old and commonplace" and was being replaced with dunk tanks in which African Americans would fall into a tank of water when a target was hit with a ball. The illustration accompanying the article shows a game labeled "Drop the Chocolate Drop" and is captioned "Amusing to All but the Victim".

In popular culture
African dodger has been depicted in comic strips and cartoons, including Donald Duck and Popeye.

Kurt Vonnegut describes the game in his 1973 novel Breakfast of Champions.

Norman Maclean remembers the game in his 1976 novel A River Runs Through It.

Billy Woods describes the brutality of the game in his 2015 song "African Dodger".