New Research Reveals Widespread Amateur Blackface in US History

Unveiling the Hidden History of Blackface: Insights from Rhae Lynn Barnes's 'Darkology'

In 2013, historian Rhae Lynn Barnes encountered difficulty accessing primary sources on blackface at the Library of Congress. A librarian admitted to Barnes that, in 1987, she had hidden some of these books due to concerns about their potential use by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. After understanding Barnes's research focus on minstrel shows and white supremacy, the librarian provided access to the materials.

Barnes's research culminated in her book, Darkology: Blackface and the American Way of Entertainment. The book traces the origins of minstrel shows, which involved actors portraying exaggerated and racist depictions of Black individuals, often formerly enslaved people.

Minstrel shows gained significant popularity in the 1800s, leading stars to publish step-by-step guides for amateurs to create their own shows. By the end of the century, amateur minstrel performances became a prevalent form of entertainment in the U.S. Various groups, including fraternal orders, PTAs, police and firemen's associations, and soldiers on military bases, staged these performances.

During the Great Depression, the U.S. government actively promoted blackface.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA) promoted blackface as part of an effort to "preserve American heritage," according to Barnes.

The government distributed lists of recommended minstrel plays to schools, local charities, and colleges. Roosevelt himself co-wrote a minstrel script intended for performance by children with polio.

As minstrel shows flourished, so did the products associated with them. Commercial blackface makeup, such as products from Stein's, emerged to replace substances like burnt cork and shoe polish. These new cosmetic products were designed to be easier to remove with cold cream or makeup remover, which was a key selling point.

Barnes indicates that some of these blackface makeup companies continue to exist, producing Halloween costume and clown makeup today.

Barnes highlights the insidious propaganda embedded within minstrel shows. She states that Stephen Foster's songs, such as "Oh Susannah!," romanticized the relationship between enslaved people and their enslavers, functioning as pro-slavery propaganda.

Beyond songs, minstrel shows were rife with political messaging.

Barnes also highlights that slogans like "Make America Great Again," "This Is Our Country," and "Take Back Our Country" were common in early 20th-century minstrel shows.

She explains that many minstrel shows reinterpreted slavery in a fantastical manner, depicting a post-Civil War era with "Black rule" where cherished American values were desecrated. Characters like "Zip" or "Rastus" would run for political office, become president, and take away America's guns, according to Barnes.

Barnes attributes the de-popularization of blackface in the 1970s, first in schools and then in the wider culture, to the civil rights era and particularly the efforts of mothers.

She notes that these mothers successfully worked to remove such shows from school curricula, leading many publishing houses to face challenges by 1970.

Barnes emphasizes the patriotic duty of historians to ensure the American public has access to the full complexity of its history. She notes that many historians previously believed blackface had disappeared by 1900, when in fact it accelerated and continued through the 1970s.

Understanding this prolonged presence, she states, underscores the significant work of thousands of Black and white mothers and students who stood up during Jim Crow America to demand dignity and historical accuracy.