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By: Elizabeth Guerrero
The origins of blackface date back to the mid-19th century; Specifically in the 1830s and in the era of the Minstrel shows which was between the years 1830 and 1890. White performers would darken their faces and exaggerate facial features to depict Black people in negative ways. Such performances were set up for the pleasure of white audiences, going so far that characters such as “Jim Crow” were created specifically for these acts. This may sound familiar seeing as the Jim Crow laws which were set to enforce racial segregation within the South were actually named after this character. Such characters would be portrayed as lazy, hypersexual, etc. All negative stereotypes and insults to the Black community.
This distortion of the culture and identity of African Americans has left a detrimental legacy. Popular television shows such as Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney portrayed blackface as a simple amusement which bridged racism into new generations. Another more common example is a widely supported syrup brand known as Aunt Jemima which is named after and uses an image of a Minstrel character on it’s packaging. The company has announced a change of name and brand which has taken effect just this year. Social media also plays a big role in creating an insensitivity around blackface. Digital blackface occurs when a non-Black person portrays themselves online as a Black person using stereotypes or African American Vernacular English (AAVE). Even though this occurs on a screen, it is just as damaging and dehumanizing. These are simply a couple of examples on how the racist origins of this country have seeped their way into modern times.
It is important to learn why blackface is offensive. With the imprinting impact it has, it is not enough to just acknowledge that it is wrong. Instead, we have to understand the negative intentions of blackface that began with the Minstrel shows years ago. Although most young people are vaguely aware of the meaning behind blackface, some continue to wear it and in turn become walking symbols of racism and stereotyping.
“Blackface remains exoticist and offensive as a practice, not just because of its long tradition of being used to mock black selfhood, sexuality, and speech but because of it’s assertion that black people are merely white people sullied by dark skin.”
- Kevin Young, Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
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