Black Folklore: What’s So Wrong With Blackface?
The traumatic and harrowing origins of Black entertainment.
I have a question for the White audience reading this and I hope you’ll be sincere with your answer.
How many of you have painted your face Black or Brown to mimic a person of color?
If you answer yes, don’t fret, I’m not here to judge. But please don’t do it again. That is if you want not to become a symbol of Black travesty and racism. What’s wrong with blackface? Everything.
The intentions behind it may be harmless, but wearing the identity of a group of people with a history that is the opposite of celebratory can be somewhat humiliating.
My culture is not a costume
You may have heard this before; a short yet powerful message that has echoed across the world. Many are still in denial of its truthfulness, which is why every year we hear of yet another incident, reminding us that a giant gulf remains between the people who understand that wearing blackface is in bad taste and others who don’t.
The history behind blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used by White performers to imitate the free and enslaved Black people. This tradition began in American…
