Friday Facts: Blackface
Posted on Friday, February 8th, 2019
Since its back history month, I thought I would offer context surrounding some of the current media attention related to Blackface, and how that would tie into our discrimination and harassment policies here at AC. So what is blackface, and why is it racist? It’s “just a costume” or “it was ok to dress up like that at some time in the past, why are people so upset?” I think when we know better, we can do better, so read on to learn the problematic past associated with blackface.
History and Context
Blackface isn’t just about painting one’s skin darker or putting on a costume. It invokes a racist and painful history. The origins of blackface date back to the minstrel shows of mid-19th century. White performers darkened their skin with polish and cork, put on tattered clothing and exaggerated their features to look stereotypically “black.” The first minstrel shows mimicked enslaved Africans on Southern plantations, depicting black people as lazy, ignorant, cowardly or hypersexual, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).
The performances were intended to be funny to white audiences. But to the black community, they were demeaning and hurtful. One of the most popular blackface characters was “Jim Crow,” developed by performer and playwright Thomas Dartmouth Rice. As part of a traveling solo act, Rice wore a burnt-cork blackface mask and raggedy clothing, spoke in stereotypical black vernacular and performed a caricatured song and dance routine that he said he learned from a slave.
Such negative representations of black people left a damaging legacy in popular culture, especially in art and entertainment. Minstrel shows were usually the only depiction of black life that white audiences saw. Presenting enslaved Africans as the butt of jokes desensitized white Americans to the horrors of slavery. The performances also promoted demeaning stereotypes of black people that helped confirm white people’s notions of superiority. (https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/02/us/racist-origins-of-blackface/index.html )
Contrary to popular belief, blackface minstrelsy was a popular form of entertainment in Canada, much as it was in the United States. American minstrel troupes travelled frequently to perform in Canada, while Canada also had its own minstrel troupes such as the Saskatoon Minstrels and the Ardrossan Snowflake Amateur Minstrels. (https://mcgill.ca/aapr/blackface-canada )
Intent vs. Impact
When blackface incidents occur today, they spark intense debate, with many attempting to justify it as harmless fun, and in some cases suggesting that those who are offended by it are “too sensitive” or bound by unwarranted “political correctness.” Paradoxically, these claims are based upon elaborate popular Canadian mythologies that suggest (erroneously) that racism has had little relevance in its history, and that any racism there might have been has been overcome (Howard, 2017). Nevertheless, contemporary blackface draws quite clearly on racial tropes—fried chicken, dreadlocks, monkeys. At the same time, and very importantly, it draws upon the ways that blackness is conceived of in dominant Canadian discourse today—most notably as foreign. In modern discussion over blackface, its racist history is often swept under the rug or shrouded in claims of ignorance. Minstrelsy, comedic performances of ‘blackness’ by whites in exaggerated costumes and makeup, cannot be separated fully from the racial derision and stereotyping at its core. (https://mcgill.ca/aapr/blackface-canada )
Algonquin’s HR22 Respectful Workplace policy defines discriminatory harassment as “One or a series of vexatious comment(s) or conduct related to one or more of the prohibited grounds that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcomed/unwanted, offensive, intimidating, derogatory or hostile. It may include, but is not limited to, gestures, remarks, jokes, taunting, innuendo, display of offensive materials, offensive graffiti, threats, verbal or physical assault, imposition of academic penalties, hazing, stalking, shunning or exclusion.” When we consider workplace discrimination and harassment, an investigation would typically not only give weight to the intent or motive of the perpetrator that matters e.g. “I didn’t mean to be rude/racist – it was a joke”, but would significantly examine the impact or negative effect that that behaviour has on the complainant. The example of blackface is a good reminder to continue educating yourself on the history of racism and be aware of the potential impact your actions can have on others – regardless of what your intent may be.
- Posted in
- Uncategorized