Definitions for blackface
ˈblækˌfeɪsblack·face

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. blackfacenoun

   the makeup (usually burnt cork) used by a performer in order to imitate a Negro

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. blackfacenoun

   a style of theatrical makeup in which a white person blackens the face in order to represent a negro

2. Etymology: From black + face

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Blackface

   Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. 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". 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. Early in the 20th century, blackface branched off from the minstrel show and became a form in its own right. In the United States, blackface declined in popularity beginning in the 1940s and into the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and was 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.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. blackface

   Blackface is a theatrical tradition, originating from the 19th century, in which performers use makeup to significantly darken their skin, typically to represent a caricature of a black person. Highly prevalent in minstrel performances in the United States, blackface is widely considered offensive and perpetuating racial stereotypes. These performances frequently featured exaggerated dialects, malapropisms, and outlandish clothes to intentionally mock black persons.

WikidataRate this definition:4.0 / 2 votes

1. Blackface

   Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky on the plantation" or the "dandified coon". In 1848, blackface minstrel shows were an American national art of the time, translating formal art such as opera into popular terms for a general audience. Early in the 20th century, blackface branched off from the minstrel show and became a form in its own right, until it ended in the United States with the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Blackface was an important performance tradition in the American theater for roughly 100 years beginning around 1830. It quickly became popular elsewhere, particularly so in Britain, where the tradition lasted longer than in the US, occurring on primetime TV as late as 1978 and 1981. In both the United States and Britain, blackface was most commonly used in the minstrel performance tradition, but it predates that tradition, and it survived long past the heyday of the minstrel show. White blackface performers in the past used burnt cork and later greasepaint or shoe polish to blacken their skin and exaggerate their lips, often wearing woolly wigs, gloves, tailcoats, or ragged clothes to complete the transformation. Later, black artists also performed in blackface.

Matched Categories

1. • Makeup

How to pronounce blackface?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say blackface in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of blackface in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of blackface in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of blackface in a Sentence

1. Kyna Hamill:

   As I mentioned in my article, the first documented performance of the song is in a blackface minstrel hall in Boston in 1857, the same year it was copyrighted, much research has been done on the problematic history of this nineteenth-century entertainment.

2. Terry McAuliffe:

   Levin added, playing more clips of Obama stumping for McAuliffe in the capital city. Levin claimed Barack Obama doesn't truly show compassion for such political issues in terms of how they affect urban minorities, arguing that despite attacks, President Trump more effectively fought for school choice and HBCU( Historically Black Colleges Universities) funding. He pointed to former Virginia Democratic Gov. Douglas Wilder, Douglas Wilder, who served in the 1990s. On Monday, Douglas Wilder criticized Terry McAuliffe for trying to use incumbent Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam's Blackface scandal as a way to reenter state politics :.

3. Bobby Berger:

   Michael's does not condone blackface performances of any kind. it's coincidence.

4. Sarah Silverman:

   I don't stand by the blackface sketch, i'm horrified by it, and I can't erase it. I can only be changed by it and move on.

5. Bill Maher:

   Well, I think this is worse than Ralph Northam, what's worse, blackface at a party in 1980 … or actually sexually harassing women in 2021 and who work under you?

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=blackface
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Blackface
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=blackface