In the United States, blackface declined in popularity beginning in the 1940s and into the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, generally considered highly offensive, disrespectful, and racist by the turn of the 21st century, though the practice (or similar-looking ones) continues in other countries. Early in the 20th century, blackface branched off from the minstrel show and became a form in its own right. By the middle of the century, blackface minstrel shows had become a distinctive American artform, translating formal works such as opera into popular terms for a general audience. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereotypes such as the 'happy-go-lucky darky on the plantation' or the ' dandified coon'.
West minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co., shows the transformation from a person of European descent to a caricature of a dark-skinned person of African descent.īlackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non- Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person.
