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Culture  /  Audio

The Faces of Racism

A history of blackface and minstrelsy in American culture.

BackStory host Nathan Connolly talks with historian Rhae Lynn Barnes about Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s 1984 yearbook page and its link to a long and disturbing history of blackface minstrelsy. They discuss how white civic organizations used minstrel shows for fundraising, why the era known as Jim Crow is named after a minstrel character, and what must happen to prevent people from donning blackface in the future.