Stereotypes Of Blackfacing In America

Blackfacing in America

Way back in history, reporters or news officials used blackface as their way to get african Americans views on certain topics/make fun of them without them actually appearing on the paper or in the actual play that they would put on in front of many. White reporters would paint their face black and talk for the African American that gave them some input on the disclosure. It is a style of entertainment based on racist Black stereotypes. According to blackface.com, In the early years exaggerated red lips were painted around their mouths, like those of today's circus clowns. In later years the lips were usually painted white or unpainted. Costumes were usually gaudy combinations of formal wear; swallowtail coats, striped

Mulattos are A mixed-blood male or female. They are often portrayed as a bad figure who either intentionally or unintentionally passes for White until they discover they have Negro blood or are discovered by white to be Black. Pickaninny is one of the worse. Pickaninny are a made up character depicting a black female or male in a dehumanizing way. They have bulging eyes, unkempt hair, red lips and wide mouths into which they stuff huge slices of watermelon. Wench/Jezebel is a Black male dressed up as a lady. Though its not, It is intended to be humorous and embarrassing. These acts are all form of disgusting entertainment. Blackfacing is a key factor in the racism that occurs today. It is the foundation of the modern known stereotypes that we see today, forming a longevity to these ideas that blacks are less superior. A hundred years of mocking black men and women can do great and disastrous damage. If a younger child grew up watching these shows its only inevitable that their young brains would eventually believe what the see and what is surrounding them, Complete racism and hatred. The American minstrel show was effectively dead by

People were reluctant to give the act up and because of this it carried on into modern days. According to the article a UNH student caused controversy over the internet when he posted a picture of him in a blackface captioning the photo “And I was forced to become the very thing society deemed me to be, angry”. This just goes to show that racism is still occuring from what is supposed to be the funny acts that were once performed in our history that should of but never died out. This would be there way of discriminating the African American race even more than they already endure! By doing this it was wrongful to even do this in the first place, but that's how we learned as a unit that it was wrong of our ancestors to do that type of stuff to others. However, this was back then when it seemed normal to everyone because they done it many times before, many folks got used to it. It was until the African Americans got their civil rights and fought back against discriminating events like these. Blackface is horrible and humiliating back then and even now because it's racist, it's humiliating to that specific race you are doing blackface, and its dehumanizing! All in all blackface is wrong and one should never do it as a joke, costume or in