Mockery in Makeup
By: Livia Queen Click to begin!
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Racism and Stereotypes: Blackface
What if someone pretended to be like you but got everything wrong—your voice, your personality, your culture? How would you feel?
Click me to learn about minstrels!
Click me to learn about minstrel performers!
Blackface Minstrel Shows
- Minstrel shows began in the 1830s with New York white performers and grew in popularity, especially at the end of the Civil War, making it the most popular form of entertainment in the 1800s. - These white performers mocked African Americans by painting their faces black with burnt cork, shoe polish, or black grease paint and exaggerating stereotyped features, behaviors, speech, and music. - White performers influenced the public perception of African Americans, gained fame, and made a living through minstrel shows. - These performances characterized African Americans as lazy, foolish, uneducated, and weak. - Many famous actors and actresses, such as Judy Garland, participated in blackface because racism and entertainment were deeply connected in early Hollywood. - In the 1860s, African Americans began participating in blackface to earn a living. - Minstrel shows started to fade in America in the 1920s, but blackface continued to live on in movies such as The Jazz Singer.
Activity: Voices Silenced Reflection Chart Create a T-chart by labeling one side "White Performers in Blackface," listing how they benefited from performing blackface, and the other "African American Perspective," listing how they felt during these performances.
Back
Famous Minstrel Performers
Daniel Decatur Emmett 1815-1904
Emmett Miller 1900-1962
Thomas Dartmouth Rice 1808-1860
Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rice
Activity: Jim Crow vs. Real Life After watching an informal video and reading an article that discusses Thomas Dartmouth Rice and his character Jim Crow, students will read a small excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. They will then work in pairs to complete a Venn Diagram comparing Rice's performance to real African American experiences during that time period.
- The father of Minstrelsy
- Developed the first blackface character, "Jim Crow," in 1830.
- Sang songs such as "Negro Ditties" and "Jump Jim Crow."
- Rice performed his shows in the United States as well as England.
- "Jim Crow" became a popular stage persona for white comedians' blackface performances due to Rice's success.
Back
Emmett Miller
- Blackface comedian and singer.
- Grew in popularity in the 1920s-1930s.
- Started performing blackface when he was sixteen in a minstrel group headed by Dan Fitch.
- Created the minstrel skit "A Thousand Frogs" in 1928.
- In 1949, he performed in the minstrel show "Dixieana."
- The tour of "Dixieana" led to Miller being a part of a Hollywood film called Yes, Sir, Mr. Bones 1951.
- Miller made a handful of records behind that inspired major country artists such as Hank Williams.
Back
Daniel Decatur Emmett
- Banjoist, fiddler, singer, comedian, and author of plays and songs for minstrel shows.
- Composer of "Dixie/I Wish I Was In Dixie" in 1859, which is a popular minstrel song that became the unofficial anthem of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
- His company played a key role in setting up a lot of the early minstrel routines and traditions, like the classic outfit featuring a blue swallow-tail coat, a striped calico shirt, and white pantaloons.
- Composed other minstrel show songs such as "The Blue Tail Fly" and "My Old Aunt Sally".
Next!
Back
Blackface Today
Discussion Questions: 1. Do you think intention (someone “just wants to be funny”) changes the moral weight of a blackface costume? Why or why not? 2. According to the Pew article, 34% of Americans said blackface is “always or sometimes acceptable.” Pew Research Center. Why do you think that number is that high? What does that suggest about cultural education? 3. Why do you think people of different races and people of different generations might have such different ideas about whether a blackface costume is "acceptable"?
Next!
Theme: Racism and Stereotypes
Activity: Spot the Stereotype Students will watch a scene with the crows from Dumbo (1941) and pay close attention to the way the crows look, speak, and act. Students will then complete an activity sheet where they will have to identify at least two stereotypes that are being portrayed in the video, such as exaggerated speech, and then complete a short answer response as to why those stereotypes are offensive and harmful to the group they represent.
- The fake characters in minstrel shows were created to mock African Americans and spread racist stereotypes that society believed. - Minstrel shows turned racism into popular entertainment. - Well, after minstrel shows ended, blackface and racism continued in movies, ads, and cartoons. - Minstrel shows taught, normalized, and spread racism, leaving behind a long legacy of harmful stereotypes that still affect African Americans today.
Next!
Importance
Importance of Teaching Racism and Stereotypes: - Middle school students are developing greater social awareness, and learning about racism and stereotypes will help them identify unfair treatment and take action to prevent discrimination, both in school and in society. - Helps show students the human impact of prejudice. - Students will have a deep understanding of how to navigate diversity respectfully. - Helps students recognize bias. - Helps activate critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Why Middle School Students Should Care: - They will know how to make a difference when they see injustice. - Knowledge of how to analyze media and history for bias and stereotypes. - Better understand the world beyond surface appearance. - Better understanding these issues that are still relevant today will make them better friends, classmates, and future leaders.
Next!
Kristina Forest Connection
I Wanna Be Where You Are: African American teen Chloe pursues a career in ballet, which is a predominantly white field. Chloe faces unfair treatment and limited opportunities because of her race. Zyla and Kai: Zyla & Kai explores discrimination through subtle biases and expectations. They face pressure to be perfect, misunderstandings about their emotions, and expectations to fit into white-dominated spaces. The story shows how society often treats Black teens differently, and how Zyla and Kai challenge those stereotypes by simply being themselves. Now That I've Found You: This story shows how discrimination in Hollywood affects black women because the character Evie is faced with pressure to be perfect, is judged more harshly, and has fewer chances to make mistakes. Evie's grandmother, Gigi, represents an earlier generation of black entertainers who faced direct discrimination, such as being denied roles or respect for her talent due to the color of her skin. This story reflects how unfair standards and stereotypes can limit people’s opportunities. Through these three novels and their meaningful messages, I chose to research and create a lesson that could be used to teach middle school students about the themes of racism and stereotypes.
Next!
Classroom Connections
How it could be used in an actual classroom setting: This project can be used in an actual classroom to teach middle school students about the history and impact of blackface and racial stereotypes. This project is highly interactive, utilizes multimedia, analyzes social issues, contains modern-day connections, and encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. The way this project is formatted promotes high engagement and student involvement. Where this project fits (lesson type): This lesson would serve as a guided lesson covering minstrelsy, racial stereotypes, and modern-day impacts. Any teacher could use this presentation to guide their students through the interactive slides, stop to ask questions, facilitate whole and small group discussions, and analyze examples of blackface appropriately.
Next!
Reflection
During the research and creation process of this project, I learned that blackface was present in old cartoons and Disney films such as Dumbo and Peter Pan. Growing up, I never recognized how these characters mocked African Americans or how offensive that is to their culture. I also learned about the many actors, actresses, comedians, and composers involved in minstrel shows and blackface, including Thomas Dartmouth Rice, Judy Garland, and Shirley Temple. I discovered that blackface is still relevant today, especially in contexts like Halloween costumes. This project impacted my understanding of representation by showing how media portrayals can create false images and reinforce harmful stereotypes. I now better understand that representation can either harm or empower: portraying a group as lazy or uneducated reinforces discrimination, while portraying them as hardworking and resilient affirms their dignity and empowers them. I connected these insights about racism, representation, and stereotypes to my future teaching role. I recognize the importance of critical media literacy, open discussions about bias, and inclusive resources. This awareness will guide me in selecting diverse and accurate teaching materials, helping students analyze media critically, and creating a classroom environment that values diversity. Throughout the project, I demonstrated critical awareness and a professional reflective voice by analyzing how African Americans were misrepresented in historical cartoons, Disney films, and minstrel performances. I reflected on how exaggerated stereotypes and blackface reinforced racism and shaped societal perceptions of African Americans. I also demonstrated a willingness to question assumptions, biases, and prior understandings, recognizing my initial perceptions of certain media, such as Disney films and cartoons, as “harmless entertainment” and rethinking what they are portraying from a more critical perspective.
Next!
References
ABC 10 News. (2013, October 29). Photo Shows Two Local Coaches Dressed in Blackface for Halloween Party. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qNFs_xr_UA Achebe, C. (n.d.). Stories - Blackface: The Birth of An American Stereotype. National Museum of African American History and Culture. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/blackface-birth-american-stereotype Brown, A. (2019, February 11). About a Third of Americans Say Blackface in a Halloween Costume is Acceptable at Least Sometimes. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/02/11/about-a-third-of-americans-say-blackface-in-a-halloween-costume-is-acceptable-at-least-sometimes/ "Camptown Races" sung by Al Jolson. (2011, July 31). YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tuu5YtkPIo CBS Sunday Morning. (2018, October 28). Blackface: A cultural history of a racist art form. YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqlD-eZm1ck Cotton Watts and Chick Watts. (2021, December 9). YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT8yUhtZoXA Crowell, J. S. (2010, June 16). Dan Emmett Photograph. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p267401coll36/id/5504/ Douglass, F. (n.d.). Nonfiction Excerpt 1: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an excerpt from the book by Frederick Douglass Frederick Dougl. Core Knowledge Foundation. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.coreknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CKHG-G5-U11-Narrative-of-the-Life-of-Frederick-Douglass-NFE1.pdf Gracyk, T. (n.d.). "Dixie” Lyrics Daniel Emmett. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGBvMudqVcw Jim Crow Museum. (2012, September 7). Jump Jim Crow. YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5FpKAxQNKU Jim Crow Museum. (2012, November 9). Blackening Up. YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SZRbrUKz0g McWhirter, C., & Morris, E. (2012, March 31). The Birth of 'Dixie' - The New York Times. The New York Times Web Archive. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://archive.nytimes.com/opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/the-birth-of-dixie/ Otis Lithograph Co & Al G. Field Minstrels. (1900) Al. G. Field Minstrels. , 1900. [Cleveland, O.: Otis Lithograph Co., ?] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2014636970/. The Origins of Jim Crow - Jim Crow Museum. (n.d.). Jim Crow Museum. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/origins.htm Racism in Children's Film Dumbo. (2014, November 21). YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Bd16Ni20o WKRG News. (2017, November 1). Restaurant Worker Won't Apologize for Blackface Costume. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVi5CwwVQT4 Wolfe, C. (2014, February 14). Emmett Miller – The Vaudeville Star Who Helped Shape Country Music. Native Ground Books and Music. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://nativeground.com/emmett-miller-vaudeville-star-helped-shape-country-music-charles-wolfe/
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Transcript
Mockery in Makeup
By: Livia Queen Click to begin!
Navigation:
Videos
Articles
Racism and Stereotypes: Blackface
What if someone pretended to be like you but got everything wrong—your voice, your personality, your culture? How would you feel?
Click me to learn about minstrels!
Click me to learn about minstrel performers!
Blackface Minstrel Shows
- Minstrel shows began in the 1830s with New York white performers and grew in popularity, especially at the end of the Civil War, making it the most popular form of entertainment in the 1800s. - These white performers mocked African Americans by painting their faces black with burnt cork, shoe polish, or black grease paint and exaggerating stereotyped features, behaviors, speech, and music. - White performers influenced the public perception of African Americans, gained fame, and made a living through minstrel shows. - These performances characterized African Americans as lazy, foolish, uneducated, and weak. - Many famous actors and actresses, such as Judy Garland, participated in blackface because racism and entertainment were deeply connected in early Hollywood. - In the 1860s, African Americans began participating in blackface to earn a living. - Minstrel shows started to fade in America in the 1920s, but blackface continued to live on in movies such as The Jazz Singer.
Activity: Voices Silenced Reflection Chart Create a T-chart by labeling one side "White Performers in Blackface," listing how they benefited from performing blackface, and the other "African American Perspective," listing how they felt during these performances.
Back
Famous Minstrel Performers
Daniel Decatur Emmett 1815-1904
Emmett Miller 1900-1962
Thomas Dartmouth Rice 1808-1860
Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rice
Activity: Jim Crow vs. Real Life After watching an informal video and reading an article that discusses Thomas Dartmouth Rice and his character Jim Crow, students will read a small excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. They will then work in pairs to complete a Venn Diagram comparing Rice's performance to real African American experiences during that time period.
Back
Emmett Miller
Back
Daniel Decatur Emmett
Next!
Back
Blackface Today
Discussion Questions: 1. Do you think intention (someone “just wants to be funny”) changes the moral weight of a blackface costume? Why or why not? 2. According to the Pew article, 34% of Americans said blackface is “always or sometimes acceptable.” Pew Research Center. Why do you think that number is that high? What does that suggest about cultural education? 3. Why do you think people of different races and people of different generations might have such different ideas about whether a blackface costume is "acceptable"?
Next!
Theme: Racism and Stereotypes
Activity: Spot the Stereotype Students will watch a scene with the crows from Dumbo (1941) and pay close attention to the way the crows look, speak, and act. Students will then complete an activity sheet where they will have to identify at least two stereotypes that are being portrayed in the video, such as exaggerated speech, and then complete a short answer response as to why those stereotypes are offensive and harmful to the group they represent.
- The fake characters in minstrel shows were created to mock African Americans and spread racist stereotypes that society believed. - Minstrel shows turned racism into popular entertainment. - Well, after minstrel shows ended, blackface and racism continued in movies, ads, and cartoons. - Minstrel shows taught, normalized, and spread racism, leaving behind a long legacy of harmful stereotypes that still affect African Americans today.
Next!
Importance
Importance of Teaching Racism and Stereotypes: - Middle school students are developing greater social awareness, and learning about racism and stereotypes will help them identify unfair treatment and take action to prevent discrimination, both in school and in society. - Helps show students the human impact of prejudice. - Students will have a deep understanding of how to navigate diversity respectfully. - Helps students recognize bias. - Helps activate critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Why Middle School Students Should Care: - They will know how to make a difference when they see injustice. - Knowledge of how to analyze media and history for bias and stereotypes. - Better understand the world beyond surface appearance. - Better understanding these issues that are still relevant today will make them better friends, classmates, and future leaders.
Next!
Kristina Forest Connection
I Wanna Be Where You Are: African American teen Chloe pursues a career in ballet, which is a predominantly white field. Chloe faces unfair treatment and limited opportunities because of her race. Zyla and Kai: Zyla & Kai explores discrimination through subtle biases and expectations. They face pressure to be perfect, misunderstandings about their emotions, and expectations to fit into white-dominated spaces. The story shows how society often treats Black teens differently, and how Zyla and Kai challenge those stereotypes by simply being themselves. Now That I've Found You: This story shows how discrimination in Hollywood affects black women because the character Evie is faced with pressure to be perfect, is judged more harshly, and has fewer chances to make mistakes. Evie's grandmother, Gigi, represents an earlier generation of black entertainers who faced direct discrimination, such as being denied roles or respect for her talent due to the color of her skin. This story reflects how unfair standards and stereotypes can limit people’s opportunities. Through these three novels and their meaningful messages, I chose to research and create a lesson that could be used to teach middle school students about the themes of racism and stereotypes.
Next!
Classroom Connections
How it could be used in an actual classroom setting: This project can be used in an actual classroom to teach middle school students about the history and impact of blackface and racial stereotypes. This project is highly interactive, utilizes multimedia, analyzes social issues, contains modern-day connections, and encourages critical thinking and problem-solving. The way this project is formatted promotes high engagement and student involvement. Where this project fits (lesson type): This lesson would serve as a guided lesson covering minstrelsy, racial stereotypes, and modern-day impacts. Any teacher could use this presentation to guide their students through the interactive slides, stop to ask questions, facilitate whole and small group discussions, and analyze examples of blackface appropriately.
Next!
Reflection
During the research and creation process of this project, I learned that blackface was present in old cartoons and Disney films such as Dumbo and Peter Pan. Growing up, I never recognized how these characters mocked African Americans or how offensive that is to their culture. I also learned about the many actors, actresses, comedians, and composers involved in minstrel shows and blackface, including Thomas Dartmouth Rice, Judy Garland, and Shirley Temple. I discovered that blackface is still relevant today, especially in contexts like Halloween costumes. This project impacted my understanding of representation by showing how media portrayals can create false images and reinforce harmful stereotypes. I now better understand that representation can either harm or empower: portraying a group as lazy or uneducated reinforces discrimination, while portraying them as hardworking and resilient affirms their dignity and empowers them. I connected these insights about racism, representation, and stereotypes to my future teaching role. I recognize the importance of critical media literacy, open discussions about bias, and inclusive resources. This awareness will guide me in selecting diverse and accurate teaching materials, helping students analyze media critically, and creating a classroom environment that values diversity. Throughout the project, I demonstrated critical awareness and a professional reflective voice by analyzing how African Americans were misrepresented in historical cartoons, Disney films, and minstrel performances. I reflected on how exaggerated stereotypes and blackface reinforced racism and shaped societal perceptions of African Americans. I also demonstrated a willingness to question assumptions, biases, and prior understandings, recognizing my initial perceptions of certain media, such as Disney films and cartoons, as “harmless entertainment” and rethinking what they are portraying from a more critical perspective.
Next!
References
ABC 10 News. (2013, October 29). Photo Shows Two Local Coaches Dressed in Blackface for Halloween Party. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qNFs_xr_UA Achebe, C. (n.d.). Stories - Blackface: The Birth of An American Stereotype. National Museum of African American History and Culture. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/blackface-birth-american-stereotype Brown, A. (2019, February 11). About a Third of Americans Say Blackface in a Halloween Costume is Acceptable at Least Sometimes. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/02/11/about-a-third-of-americans-say-blackface-in-a-halloween-costume-is-acceptable-at-least-sometimes/ "Camptown Races" sung by Al Jolson. (2011, July 31). YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tuu5YtkPIo CBS Sunday Morning. (2018, October 28). Blackface: A cultural history of a racist art form. YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqlD-eZm1ck Cotton Watts and Chick Watts. (2021, December 9). YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT8yUhtZoXA Crowell, J. S. (2010, June 16). Dan Emmett Photograph. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p267401coll36/id/5504/ Douglass, F. (n.d.). Nonfiction Excerpt 1: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an excerpt from the book by Frederick Douglass Frederick Dougl. Core Knowledge Foundation. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.coreknowledge.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/CKHG-G5-U11-Narrative-of-the-Life-of-Frederick-Douglass-NFE1.pdf Gracyk, T. (n.d.). "Dixie” Lyrics Daniel Emmett. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGBvMudqVcw Jim Crow Museum. (2012, September 7). Jump Jim Crow. YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5FpKAxQNKU Jim Crow Museum. (2012, November 9). Blackening Up. YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SZRbrUKz0g McWhirter, C., & Morris, E. (2012, March 31). The Birth of 'Dixie' - The New York Times. The New York Times Web Archive. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://archive.nytimes.com/opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/the-birth-of-dixie/ Otis Lithograph Co & Al G. Field Minstrels. (1900) Al. G. Field Minstrels. , 1900. [Cleveland, O.: Otis Lithograph Co., ?] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2014636970/. The Origins of Jim Crow - Jim Crow Museum. (n.d.). Jim Crow Museum. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/origins.htm Racism in Children's Film Dumbo. (2014, November 21). YouTube. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Bd16Ni20o WKRG News. (2017, November 1). Restaurant Worker Won't Apologize for Blackface Costume. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVi5CwwVQT4 Wolfe, C. (2014, February 14). Emmett Miller – The Vaudeville Star Who Helped Shape Country Music. Native Ground Books and Music. Retrieved October 15, 2025, from https://nativeground.com/emmett-miller-vaudeville-star-helped-shape-country-music-charles-wolfe/