From Minstrel Shows to Memes: The History of Blackface in America

podcast April 13, 2026

From minstrel shows to modern politics — Shannon and KK break down the deep history of blackface in America, why it was never just entertainment, and why whiteface is not the mirror image people claim it is.

This past week, a blackface photo of a sitting Georgia state representative surfaced, and it sparked a response that hit every note of the classic “I’m not racist” playbook. The receipts are read and the hosts give their thoughts on his response.

In Big Facts, Shannon traces blackface from its roots in 1828, when Thomas Dartmouth Rice stole a dance from an enslaved man and built a minstrel empire, all the way through Hollywood’s golden age, the birth of Jim Crow laws, and the documented ways minstrel stereotypes still shape how Black people are perceived today.

Then the conversation opens up: Druski’s conservative woman skits, the Wayans Brothers’ White Chicks defense, Jack Harlow going full R&B, and the difference between resistance and racism.

No Lisa this week, but Shannon and KK hold it down.

*Referenced Episode – Mandingos Mammies, and Jezebels

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About the Hosts

Blacktivities is a Black Panache original production – a podcast network with a lineup of black-hosted shows sharing black stories and tackling black issues. For more information on shows like our newest production, Fat Lies Matter, visit blackpanache.com.

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