Ideas worth spreading

1,494,331 views | Dwan Reece • TEDxMidAtlantic

The origins of blackface and Black stereotypes

If you're wondering why blackface -- mimicking people of African descent via stereotypes and makeup-darkened skin -- is a big deal, then perhaps a little history lesson can help demystify the outcry. Dwan Reece, curator at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, explains how this practice permeates the American psyche and culture (in theater, music, books and beyond) and why it's not simply harmless fun, but a legacy of oppression.

Become a TED Member

Want to hear more great ideas like this one? Sign up for TED Membership to get exclusive access to captivating conversations, engaging events, and more!

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxMidAtlantic, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

If you're wondering why blackface -- mimicking people of African descent via stereotypes and makeup-darkened skin -- is a big deal, then perhaps a little history lesson can help demystify the outcry. Dwan Reece, curator at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, explains how this practice permeates the American psyche and culture (in theater, music, books and beyond) and why it's not simply harmless fun, but a legacy of oppression.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxMidAtlantic, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

About the speaker

See speaker profile

Dwandalyn R. Reece is Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Greg Adams | Smithsonian Music, April 2017 | Article

“The History of the Banjo an Black Face Minstrelsy.”

Banjo scholar and archivist, Greg Adams, briefly walks through the history of the banjo within enslaved communities and explores its popularity within European-American cultures following the rise of minstrelsy’s popularity.

Annemarie Bean, James V Hatch, and Brooks McNamara | Wesleyan University Press, 1996 | Book

Inside the Minstrel Mask: Readings in Nineteenth Century Blackface Minstrelsy

Collection of essays delving into minstrelsy’s development and impact as America’s first popular mass entertainment form.

National Museum of African American History and Culture | October 2017 | Article

"Blackface: The Birth of An American Stereotype"

Collections story placing objects alongside text to visually analyze the minstrelsy’s spread in material and visual culture.

CBS | February 2019 | Watch

“Understanding the ‘Legacy of Oppression’ Behind Blackface”

Short news segment Dr. Dwandalyn Reece discusses blackface imagery and its legacy in contemporary American life and conversation.

Spike Lee | Warner Brothers, 2000. | Watch

Bamboozled

A satirical film examining the production and consequences of a modern-day blackface minstrel show starring black actors.

W. T. Lhamon | Harvard University Press, 2003. | Book

Jump Jim Crow: Lost Plays, Lyrics, and Street Prose of the First Atlantic Popular Culture

Performance history of minstrelsy and its bearing on contemporary culture.

Matthew D. Morrison | Women and Performance, Jan 2017 | Article

“The sound(s) of subjection: Constructing American popular music and racial identity through Blacksound.”

An article exploring the subjection and commodification of the aesthetic and cultural practices of African Americans using Morrison’s theory of Blacksound.

Robert Townsend | Samuel Goldwyn Company, 1987 | Watch

Hollywood Shuffle

A comedy film unpacking racial stereotypes in Hollywood films and the Black actors that navigate these obstacles.

About TEDx

TEDx was created in the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading." It supports independent organizers who want to create a TED-like event in their own community.

Find a TEDx event near you