Multimedia-Blackface+Then

Everyone knows the saying, "Art imitates life." If a person wants to have an idea of the happenings of any society (be it political climate, socioeconomic situations, or sheer entertainment styles), taking a look at the multimedia that is being produced during the particular era is a guaranteed method of gaging these truths. Without fail, the arts (written and performed) will reflect the sentiments of people within races, creeds, political and religious sects.

Below are listed several examples of how multimedia have been used to portray societal attitudes toward African Americans.

Montage of racial cartoons: media type="youtube" key="gH4ivOyO0PQ?fs=1" height="181" width="230" While we are (unfortunately) used to encountering racism that is directed toward adults, the amount of racism found in these children's cartoons is disturbing.

A blackface performance featuring two white men as "typical negro men": media type="youtube" key="IsIzUVavf6o?fs=1" height="181" width="230" This video is absolutely astonishing. As we all know now, this is an accurate representation of how most blackface performances portrayed black men of the time. This is how white people saw African Americans and how African Americans were forced to think of themselves in most cases.

A typical Ziegfeld performance: media type="youtube" key="emW9Ae7XEnw?fs=1" height="181" width="230" Though not as inflammatory as the previous video, this blackface performance makes a person see that the only "value" African Americans did have at that time was as entertainment (part of the minstrelsy of the era).