Minstrel Shows

Minstrel Shows was a late development in the entertainment industry of the colonists but it is clearly the first organized theatrical activity of the colonists, that’s why it is so important. Minstrel Shows nowadays have a bad reputation since the majority of people assume that all they did was racist satire. They did many other things other than the few racist jokes they threw in here and there. They performed skits,dances, songs , and various other artistic expression. The reason there is controversy around Minstrel Shows is simply because the actors and singers were in blackface. Blackface was the style of dressing up and coloring one’s skin to make yourself look like an African American. At this time people were still owning slaves and had plantations. African American’s were considered to be inferior and the Whites made this into a joke. Weirdly enough, after the Civil War people who acted in Minstrel Shows were African American’s themselves. Minstrelsy minus the racism was a very fun time and obviously as African Americans began to gain rights Minstrelsy lost a lot of popularity but, it continued all the way up until the 1960’s where amateurs did small Minstrel Shows in High Schools and small stages. At the time Minstrel Shows were great fun but it’s a shame that those who were most talented in the arts at that time used it for such a controversial thing. The legacy that Minstrel Shows leaves is of course both good and bad. It was the start of American plays, concerts, and comedy shows. Unfortunately , the main thing that Minstrel Shows contributed to America is the racism. African American stereotypes that are still incredibly relevant today originated in the jokes of the actors in Minstrel Shows. At that time it was simply trying to entertain but nowadays the effects of the jokes are still reflected in the hate that many people have for different races.