What is blackface?
Q: What is blackface?
A: Blackface is a costume or make-up where black make-up is applied to imitate a racist image of a Black or African American person.
Q: When did blackface become popular?
A: Blackface became popular in the 19th century, especially during Reconstruction after the American Civil War.
Q: What are blackface minstrel shows?
A: Blackface minstrel shows are a distinctive art form that started in the mid-19th century. It translated formal works, like opera, into popular terms for general audiences.
Q: When did blackface come off the minstrel show?
A: Blackface came off the minstrel show early in the 20th century, becoming a form in its own right.
Q: Why is blackface offensive and racist?
A: Blackface is offensive and racist because it perpetuates negative stereotypes of Black or African American people.
Q: What are the Culture Club and Taco videos associated with blackface?
A: The Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" and Taco's "Puttin' On the Ritz" are videos in which actors in blackface appeared during the early 1980s.
Q: Why was the original video for "Puttin' On the Ritz" not allowed?
A: The original video for "Puttin' On the Ritz" (1983) was not allowed due to the characters in blackface in that video.
