Is Black Face Still Prevalent Today?

The History of Black Face

According to Merriam-Webster, blackface is “dark makeup worn to mimic the appearance of a Black person and especially to mock or ridicule Black people.” Blackface in the United States dates back to the early 19th century. In the 1820s, Thomas D. Rice created the character “Jim Crow” using blackface. By the mid to late 1800s, minstrel shows spread harmful ideas about Black people, reinforcing racist stereotypes and justifying slavery and segregation. In the early 1900s, the film The Jazz Singer (1927) featured Al Jolson performing in blackface.

As time went on, people began to recognize how hateful and racist these “performances” truly were. I will always find it obscure—how could someone not see how this was racist? To be seen as funny, they had to dress up and mimic those they oppressed. While blackface was deeply harmful to Black people, it also said a lot about the performers. Do you hate yourself so much, or think so little of yourself, that you have to act like and mock those you claim to hate?

Black Face Today 

Even though society now understands that blackface is wrong, it still happens today. Take, for example, the blackface incident at Whitewater High’s volleyball game, where four fans—two girls and two young men—painted their entire bodies black and wore curly, afro-style wigs for a “blackout” game. Many argue that their intent was simply to support their team, but that belief is ignorant. There are countless ways to show school spirit: wear a black shirt, black pants, or a black hat—items most people already have in their closets. Buying body paint takes time and effort, which means all four of them had plenty of time to think about their decision and still chose to do it.

I call this implicit or unconscious racism—and I promise you, they learned it from someone. So ask yourself: What are you teaching the people around you? That racism is acceptable if it’s seen as funny or harmless—or that racism, in any form, should be called out and stopped?