The Downfalls of Blackface

            Blackface was a form of entertainment for white people that was extremely demeaning to African Americans. People in these performances used black face paint to darken their skin. They usually accentuated their lips with white paint to highlight the idea that African Americans had large lips. (See picture below). The actors played clueless men who acted like buffoons. These performances became common and were widely accepted by white viewers. Blackface was a way for black men to make their way in the world. Although they were accepting the highly offensive racial stereotyping by performing, blackface was a way for black men to gain opportunities. Since the act was so popular within the white community, black actors gained connections and success. But with this success came hardships.
           Black actors were never fully accepted into society. One of the men narrating the film performed what a typical blackface act would have looked like. At the end he said, “No disgrace being black, just terribly inconvenient.” He talks about the fact that black men lacked the ease that came with being a white man. The success of these actors was shadowed with the fact that they were still serving to the white man by providing entertainment. In order to escape the stereotype, actors had to put themselves in the stereotype. Performances like blackface created a culture and a stigma that spiralled out of control. Although it was better for some black men to escape a life of hardship by performing in blackface it ultimately created a toxic belief system. These dramatized and warped portrayals of black culture received so much attention that people started to accept these characteristics to be true for all African Americans. This was the start of a culture of stereotyping that still happens today. The link below shows what a blackface performance would have looked like.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIaj7FNHnjQ