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Origins -

Blackface originated in 19th-century American minstrel shows, where white performers caricatured black people in offensive and degrading ways. These performances perpetuated harmful stereotypes and mocked black culture.

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Spread to Britain -

Minstrel shows featuring blackface crossed the Atlantic and became popular in Britain, continuing to degrade black people. The practice found new life in British entertainment, influencing theater, music halls, and eventually television well into the 20th century.

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Antebellum South -

The Antebellum South (a period in American history from 1812 to 1861) was sharply divided along racial, class, and gender lines. The Southern economy depended heavily on enslaved labor for cash crops, and so the power of those who controlled the crops was reinforced while poor whites became poorer.

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Poor white communities -

Poor whites were economically disadvantaged, excluded from free labor opportunities, and lacked access to public education. Many poor whites enlisted as Confederate soldiers during the Civil War and linked their fortunes with the institution of slavery.

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Post-Civil War -

In the Reconstruction Era, Southern politicians fueled division between poor whites and blacks, fostering resentment. The collapse of the plantation economy heightened competition, and many white communities turned to violence and racial animosity to hold onto white supremacy.

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Blackface -

Blackface emerged as a response to poor whites' frustrations in the Antebellum South. It allowed white performers to distinguish their whiteness by ridiculing blackness.

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Stereotype -

By definition, a stereotype’s purpose is to simplify something that is complex. By stereotyping black culture, blackface allowed white communities to simplify black people and create an inhuman perspective of them.

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Minstrel shows -

Before the Civil War, the 1830s saw the emergence of blackface performers, with Thomas Dartmouth Rice's character "Jim Crow" becoming the most famous. Rice's exaggerated portrayal of black people through comedic performances solidified the popularity of blackface as mainstream entertainment.

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Frederick Douglass -

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass strongly criticized blackface performers and accused them of profiting by stealing black identity to cater to the racist desires of white audiences. He viewed blackface as a corrupt practice that further dehumanized black people.

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Jim Crow laws -

Blackface minstrel shows had such a significant impact on white America that segregation laws restricting the rights of black people became known as Jim Crow laws, named after Rice’s character.

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Search for equality -

As black people sought citizenship and voting rights after the Civil War, blackface minstrel shows ridiculed their physical appearance and character. This public mockery justified black people’s marginalization in society.

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Performances in Britain -

Before American minstrels gained popularity, white Englishmen had already been "blacking up" in religious dramas and Shakespearean plays.

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British culture -

American blackface performers (like Thomas Dartmouth Rice) found eager audiences in Victorian Britain. The success of these performances inspired British imitators, and so blackface became deeply embedded in British popular culture.

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British television -

Blackface became a prominent feature on British television, with shows like ‘The Black and White Minstrel Show.’ The program, which ran from 1958 to 1978, showcased white performers in blackface, perpetuating racial stereotypes to millions of viewers every week.

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Hollywood -

Hollywood embraced blackface from its early days, using it in films like ‘The Birth of a Nation’ (1915, pictured) and ‘The Jazz Singer’ (1927). Black characters in the films were seen as criminal or inferior.

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Al Jolson -

One of history’s most renowned blackface actors was Al Jolson, who was considered by many to be "the king of blackface performers" in the 1920s. His work includes ‘The Jazz Singer.’

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Family entertainment -

Shockingly, blackface was a staple of family entertainment in Hollywood. Iconic figures like Shirley Temple and Judy Garland (pictured) appeared in blackface in popular films. Racism became normalized for wider audiences, including children.

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21st-century cinema -

Despite its offensive nature, blackface continued to appear in 21st-century films like ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ (2000) and ‘Tropic Thunder’ (2008, pictured). Even though these depictions are intended as satire, they perpetuate a harmful tradition in modern cinema.

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British television comedies -

Television of the 21st century also features many examples of characters wearing blackface. A slew of British comedies such as ‘Little Britain’ (pictured) and ‘The League of Gentlemen’ featured blackface performances.

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'Saturday Night Live' -

The American sketch comedy show ‘Saturday Night Live’ has repeatedly used blackface in its sketches. Notable instances include Billy Crystal’s portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. and Jimmy Fallon’s impersonation of Chris Rock.

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Removing offensive content -

In response to growing awareness of the harm caused by blackface, streaming services and media platforms have been removing or censoring offensive sketches, episodes, and entire shows.

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Black identity -

Since the arrival of enslaved Africans in America in 1619, black people have faced the dual challenge of defining their identity and achieving self-determination. Racist portrayals in blackface undermined these efforts, casting Bblack identity as inferior and subservient to white civilization.

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‘Bamboozled’ (2000) -

Spike Lee’s film ‘Bamboozled’ (2000) depicts a black TV writer whose minstrel show becomes a hit. The film satirizes America’s ongoing comfort with blackface and criticizes society’s willingness to dehumanize black people for entertainment.

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Modern entertainment -

Despite decades of condemnation, blackface has not disappeared from modern entertainment. It continues to exist even in supposedly progressive contexts, which shows how difficult it is to fully eradicate racist caricatures in mainstream culture.

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Black Pete -

Every year, hundreds of Dutch citizens don blackface during the Feast of St. Nicholas. Their appearance is in reference to Zwarte Piet (translated to Black Pete), who is the companion of Saint Nicholas in Dutch folklore. The character’s depiction has been controversial and polarizing.

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High-profile scandal -

In 2019, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admitted that he had lost count of the number of times he had worn blackface in the past.

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Picture proof -

Similarly, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam faced scandal when a yearbook photo showed him wearing blackface alongside a friend dressed as a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

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Halloween -

“Black” Halloween costumes have also been incredibly popular over the years, which have generated controversy due to insensitivity toward black culture.

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Tertiary education -

Even colleges and universities across the US have battled against students and professors who undertake blackface performances. Many of them insist that their actions are not the reflection of malice or racial hatred.

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The legacy of blackface -

Wearing blackface in modern society is not about intention, but rather about deep-rooted prejudice that continues to affect society. Blackface was founded on racial injustice, and wearing it is nothing more than a continuation of these stereotypes.

Sources: (TheCollector) (The New York Times) (Britannica) (National Museum of African American History and Culture)

See also: Black history told through amazing (and disturbing) objects

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