Blackface

By Barja Islam

General Context

Blackface refers to the racist practice in which non-black performers darken their skins to caricature, mock, and ridicule Black people. In the 1830s with minstrel shows the white actors would darken their skin using polish or cork, don ragged clothing, and exaggerate their features to portray the demeaning caricatures of Black people (Kaur; Holland). These performances depicted Black individuals as lazy, ignorant, cowardly, or hypersexual.

By the mid-1800s, blackface minstrel shows gained enormous popularity, considering them the first distinctly American entertainment genre. The phenomenon rapidly crossed international borders, evolving into a thriving industry by 1845. This practice persisted into the 20th century in early films.

Civil rights groups have consistently denounced blackface as offensive and damaging racial stereotypes (“Understanding the ‘Legacy of Oppression’ Behind Blackface”). This is linked to the long-standing history of racial discrimination in American society (The Historical Harm of Blackface: How to Talk with Young People).

Connection to Novel

In Gaines’s novel Of Love and Dust, the author presents an intriguing reversal of the typical blackface trope. Louise and Tite, white characters, apply dark makeup to disguise themselves as Black individuals to flee the plantation alongside Marcus. This creative twist on blackface serves as a potent commentary on racial dynamics and stereotypes. Rather than its historical use as a means to mock and demean Black people, Gaines repurposes the concept, transforming it into a method for white characters to assimilate with Black individuals and escape from oppressive circumstances (Teutsch).

The portrayal of white characters in blackface in the novel also serves as a commentary on the fear of miscegenation that was widespread in the South. Gaines subverts and critiques these racial anxieties, transforming a racist practice into a means of challenging the very system it once upheld.