In 2013, historian Rhae Lynn Barnes was researching blackface in America when she encountered a stumbling block at the Library of Congress: Various primary sources on the subject were listed as “missing on shelf.”
Barnes spoke to one of the librarians, and explained that she was writing a history of minstrel shows and white supremacy. Barnes says the librarian admitted that, in 1987, she had personally hidden some of these books because she feared the material would be used by the Ku Klux Klan.
“Once [the librarian] understood the research I was doing … a few hours later, she came up with a cart packed to the brim with all of the material that I had been hoping to see,” Barnes says.
In her new book Darkology: Blackface and the American Way of Entertainment, Barnes traces the origin of minstrel shows, performances in which an actor portrays an exaggerated and racist depiction of Black, often formerly enslaved, people.
Barnes says minstrel became so popular in the 1800s that the stars began publishing “step-by-step guides” explaining how amateurs could create their own shows. By the end of the century, amateur minstrel performances became one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the U.S. Many groups, including fraternal orders, PTAs, police and firemen’s associations and soldiers on military bases, put on their own shows.
During the Great Depression, Barnes notes that President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration sought to “preserve American heritage” by promoting blackface. As part of the effort, she says, the government distributed lists of “top minstrel plays that they recommended to schools, to local charities, to colleges.” Roosevelt was such a fan of minstrel shows that he co-wrote a script, to be performed by children with polio.
Barnes credits the civil rights era and especially mothers with helping de-popularize blackface in the 1970s, first in schools and then in the larger culture. “They successfully get the shows out of school curriculum piece by piece.
By 1970, most of these publishing houses were going under due to the remarkable efforts of Black and white mothers who collaborated with them,” she explains. Sound familiar? Many terms associated with white supremacy are actually derived from minstrel shows, serving as dog whistles for those ideologies.
Historians are currently engaged in a cultural battle, recognizing the importance of ensuring that the American public has access to the full complexity of our history. It is vital to understand the struggles and triumphs that have shaped our nation, including the enduring presence of blackface in American culture well beyond the assumed decline in the early 20th century. By acknowledging this history, we honor the courageous efforts of individuals, both Black and white, who challenged the dehumanizing portrayal of race during the Jim Crow era.
Having these difficult conversations about our past is essential for progress. Americans are eager to engage in these discussions and move forward towards a more equitable future.
Produced and edited by Anna Bauman and Susan Nyakundi, this interview was adapted for the web by Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper, and Meghan Sullivan.
