Chapter 16

Black Minstrelsy

• Overview: Originated in Saint-Domingue and influenced white performers in the U.S. to adopt Blackface, which led to comedic skits mocking the intelligence of enslaved Blacks and reinforcing stereotypes.

• Impact: Created fantastical portrayals of a "good slave," mocking Black culture while constructing a paternalistic relationship.

Evolution of Black Minstrelsy

• Emergence in the 1860s: Black performers began to assert themselves in performance art, engaging white audiences who perceived their performances as more authentic, yet still reinforced stereotypes.

• Resistance: These performances became a form of resistance against white oppression, where Black artists utilized humor to critique white audiences.

Global Influence

• International Reach: As Black Minstrelsy gained popularity, shows were performed in other imperial colonies. For example, in South Africa, they modeled behaviors for indentured servants.

• Civil War Context: Blackface Minstrelsy was also used in South Africa as fundraising tools to support England during the American Civil War, a period when cotton shipments to England were disrupted.

Abraham Lincoln's Views

• Stance on Equality (1858): In debates, Lincoln expressed opposition to political and social equality between races, citing physical differences.

• Colonization Plans (1862): Proposed relocating Black Americans to Africa, believing it was impossible for races to coexist equally in the U.S. He sought to convince Black leaders to persuade their communities to support this plan.

The American Dilemma

• Post-Civil War View: After the war, sociology began to frame the experiences of Black individuals in America as a "colonial problem," complicating integration within society.

• Racial Alienation: Sociologists characterized Black Americans as "aliens" within the populace, viewing their experiences collectively rather than individually, leading to an exceptionalist narrative.

The Lost Cause Narrative

• Historical Revisionism: After the Civil War, the Lost Cause narrative emerged, promoted by groups like the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which distanced Southern states from their past roles in slavery.

• Cultural Indoctrination: This false narrative sought to preserve white superiority in Southern society and romanticized the Antebellum South while minimizing the brutality of slavery.

• Education's Role: Educational initiatives led by the UDC served to indoctrinate children into a distorted historical perspective, creating a myth of Southern valor and victim hood.

Mass Lynchings During Reconstruction

• Widespread Violence: Documented incidents of mass lynching reveal extensive racial violence targeting Black communities during the Reconstruction era. Notable events include:

  • Mobile County, Alabama (1865): Estimated 138 Black victims over months.

  • Memphis, Tennessee (May 1866): White mobs killed at least 46 Black individuals and destroyed community properties.

  • Colfax, Louisiana (April 1873): An estimated 150 Black victims in an effort to suppress the Black vote.

• Patterns of Violence: These acts demonstrate systemic efforts to maintain white supremacy through intimidation and terror.