Facts

Quote: "Minstrel entertainers at the outset were very crude, compared with those of to-day. In the olden time, a violin, banjo, the bones, and tambourine made up the 'orchestra,' and the entertainment consisted solely of songs, dances, and 'gags.' To-day the leading companies have the best and highest salaried vocalists, musicians, specialists, 'stump speakers' and negro comedians, and the entertainments are models of refined fun."

- Charles Townsend

During the Minstrel Era, one of the only ways for black talents to reach semi-stardom was to perform in black face and please the entertainment of the paying white audience. However, it brought fame to many artists like Master Juba, Earnest Hogan, the famous duet Dean and Johnson, Bert Williams and George Walker, and Will M. Cook.In the 20th century, this same protocol was mimicked by the innovative television serious In Living Color, created by Keenan Ivory Wayans. This show includes comedy, dancing, acting, and singing while bringing underlying issues to surface.

Quote: "Whites playing at being black and blacks playing at being white have thus continually redrawn the longest lasting and the most expressive meeting ground of American life."

- W. T. Lhamon, Jr.

This statement made by W.T.Lhamon from his composition "Ebery Time I wheel About I jump Jim Crow": Cycles of Minstrel Transgression is documented with other collecting 19th century Minstrel readings in Inside The Minstrel Mask. This statement is made true in our society today. The tanning business along with ethnic hair relaxers, skin lightening creams, and hair weaves are million, if not billion, dollar industries that market on how society feels it should mold itself. The media and popular culture today portray tanned skin, corn rolled hair, extensions, ethnic apparel, and slang as good and whites, as well as many other non-black communities, young and old conform to fit societies standards. Just as ethnic hair straightening relaxers, skin lightening creams, discernment of ethnic heritage, white collar conformity is popular with many blacks as the "better way to be/live."