Fresh Air: The Hidden History of Blackface in America

Host: Terry Gross
Guest: Raelynn Barnes, author of Darkology
Date: March 9, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode examines the largely hidden history of blackface in America, focusing on its spread through amateur minstrel shows. Terry Gross speaks with Raelynn Barnes, cultural historian and author of Darkology, about how blackface permeated American culture far beyond professional theater—into schools, fraternal clubs, politics and even government policy—and why so much of this history was purposely forgotten or omitted. The conversation highlights chilling throughlines from 19th-century minstrelsy to modern political rhetoric.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Blackface History Is So Hidden

• Despite the scandal surrounding blackface today, it was the most popular entertainment form in 19th- and early 20th-century America.
• The civil rights movement’s success in making blackface taboo led to its removal from cultural memory and education.
• Libraries and archives often failed to catalog blackface material during the Jim Crow era because, as Barnes notes, “it was just what was happening every day” (02:01).

2. Barriers to Accessing Blackface Archives

• Barnes describes difficulties accessing blackface-related books at the Library of Congress, including black librarians initially refusing to provide them due to their offensive content and the fear they could inspire racial violence if misused (03:23–06:06).
• Some materials had been intentionally hidden during the 1980s due to a Klan revival and concern about white supremacists reviving blackface for hate purposes.

“They turned blackface into something that was culturally taboo. And so it became so taboo, in fact, that the history of it is no longer taught.” (02:13, Raelynn Barnes)

3. Current Culture Wars Over History

• The conversation connects current political efforts to erase or sanitize Black American history to the long tradition of suppressing uncomfortable historical truths (07:05).
• Barnes frames it as a “patriotic duty” for historians to ensure Americans understand both the triumphs and the brutality of their past (07:55).

4. Origins of Blackface and the Jim Crow Character

• TD Rice, a struggling actor, created the Jim Crow character after seeing a disabled enslaved man in the 1830s and mimicking him on stage using blackface (09:50).
• Jim Crow became both a stage persona and the namesake for segregation laws.

“It explodes in New York City, becomes the number one entertainment form in the United States, and then it ricochets globally throughout the English-speaking world because of this obsession with this character, Jim Crow.” (11:29, Raelynn Barnes)

5. How Blackface Spread to Amateur Groups

• Technological advances like the printing press allowed for “how-to” guides on amateur minstrel performance (13:36).
• The term “darkology” was itself an insider term from these guidebooks.
• Performing blackface became common in schools, clubs, PTAs, military bases, and fraternal organizations.

6. The Elks Club and Political Power

• The Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks—founded by pro blackface performers—became a major vector for amateur blackface and wielded substantial political power (16:41–19:55).
• Funds raised (even for charity) often supported segregated institutions and pro-segregation candidates.

7. Stephen Foster’s Enduring Influence

• Foster wrote many parlor songs popularized in minstrel shows, such as “Oh! Susanna” and “Camptown Races,” reinforcing pro-slavery propaganda (20:39–25:39).
• These songs entered school curricula and became part of American cultural DNA—and public domain—largely due to federal backing during the Great Depression.

8. Government Support Through the WPA

• The Works Progress Administration (WPA) institutionalized blackface performance during the Depression, financially bailing out minstrel publishers and making their material central to school and community entertainment (26:24–29:17).
• Federal bureaucrats evaluated minstrel plays for their “patriotic” value before distributing them to schools nationwide.

9. FDR and Minstrelsy

• FDR not only oversaw the WPA’s support of blackface, but also organized minstrel shows for polio-stricken children in Warm Springs, Georgia (32:27–34:59).

10. The KKK, White Supremacy, and Blackface

• Throughout the 20th century, white supremacist groups—including the KKK—sought to preserve and revive blackface and minstrel culture through mail orders, publications, and organized performances (34:59–36:59).

“For most of the Jim Crow era, the Elks Club, the Rotary Club, any sort of professional organization are the same members and local leaders as the Klan.” (35:40, Raelynn Barnes)

11. “Make America Great Again”—A Minstrel Slogan

• Slogans like “Make America Great Again” have roots in minstrel show scripts, frequently used in pro-slavery, anti-black contexts (36:59–38:38).

12. The Role of Black Mothers in Ending Blackface in Schools

• Post-WWII black mothers, often part of the Great Migration, organized against blackface in school and community pageants (39:52–42:43).
• Led by activists like Betty Reed, they argued successfully—often legally—that such performances denied their children’s human rights, helping push blackface out of mainstream American life by the 1970s.

13. Legacy in Hollywood Classics

• Many beloved Hollywood films and stars, including Fred Astaire (“Swing Time”) and Judy Garland (“Babes in Arms”), performed in blackface.
• Barnes advocates for honest contextualization—not cancellation: “I think having conversations about what did these harmful stereotypes do... Not just in terms of demeaning and making fun of black people, but the economics behind it, how it helped fortify segregation. I absolutely support having those conversations in a meaningful way.” (44:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On why blackface performances vanished from schools:

  “Because blackface was federally sponsored and a part of the school curriculum, that there was very little difference between these caricatures against black Americans and the caricatures against Jews in Europe during Weimar Germany.” (41:57, Raelynn Barnes)

• On the insidiousness of minstrelsy:

  “You are no longer just being a consumer or viewer of minstrelsy, you... are embodying blackness as you find it funny. And so you’re taking ownership in these new characters, and that is what made it destructive.” (15:25, Raelynn Barnes)

• On the role of mothers in dismantling blackface culture:

  “By 1970, most of these publishing houses are going under because of the incredible work of black and white mothers...who said, 'I don't want my child performing this... This is not acceptable.’” (42:45, Raelynn Barnes)

• On connecting minstrelsy to current political rhetoric:

  “A lot of these terms that are—you could perhaps say—dog whistles in white supremacy are taken line for line from these minstrel shows.” (37:46, Raelynn Barnes)

Key Timestamps

• [02:01] — Why Blackface History Is Hidden
• [03:23–06:06] — Barriers to Accessing Archival Materials
• [07:05–07:55] — Current Efforts to Erase/Alter Black History
• [09:50–11:55] — Origin and Characterization of Jim Crow
• [13:36–16:21] — Spread of Amateur Blackface via How-To Guides
• [16:41–19:55] — Fraternal Organizations’ Role (Elks Club)
• [20:39–25:39] — Stephen Foster, Minstrel Songs, and School Curricula
• [26:24–29:19] — WPA's “Blackface Bailout” and Prevalence in Schools
• [32:27–34:59] — FDR’s Involvement with Minstrel Shows
• [34:59–36:59] — The Klan and White Supremacist Appropriation of Minstrelsy
• [36:59–38:38] — “Make America Great Again” and Minstrel Origins
• [39:52–42:43] — Black Mothers’ Advocacy and The End of School Blackface
• [43:10–44:57] — The Legacy of Blackface in Beloved Films and What To Do About It

Conclusion

Terry Gross and Raelynn Barnes uncover how deeply blackface, minstrelsy, and their racist tropes shaped American culture—not only through professional entertainment, but also through school curricula, community organizations, federal policy, and even present-day political language. The episode challenges listeners to confront these histories head-on, and consider meaningful ways to reckon with their persistent echoes in American life.