blackface

American  

[blak-feys] / ˈblækˌfeɪs /

noun

1. Theater.

   1. an entertainer, especially in a minstrel or vaudeville show, made up in the role of a Black person. By the mid-20th century, these entertainers had declined in popularity because their comic portrayal of negative racial stereotypes was considered offensive.

   2. facial makeup, as burnt cork, used in this role.

      They appeared in blackface.

   3. imitation of Black skin tone, speech, traditional dress, etc., by a person who is not Black.

      White rappers are performing vocal blackface when they rap in a dialect they appropriated from the African American community.

2. Printing. a heavy-faced type, usually darker than boldface.

---

blackface British  

/ ˈblækˌfeɪs /

noun

1. 1. a performer made up to imitate a Black person

   2. the make-up used by such a performer, usually consisting of burnt cork

2. a breed of sheep having a dark face

---

Etymology

Origin of blackface

First recorded in 1695–1705; black + face

Example Sentences

Mr. Sparks was quick to note that his group otherwise shared nothing with its namesake, a white group that had promoted the music of Stephen Foster in blackface.

From New York Times • Feb. 17, 2024

He represented fired CNN anchor Chris Cuomo and former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, who was let go from NBC News after defending "blackface" costumes on an episode of her show.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2023

Wendler claimed his purpose was to stop speech that would "denigrate and demean women," comparing drag to "blackface."

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2023

It’s not that a movie about the evils of blackface couldn’t also be a movie about, say, the evils of Tobey Maguire doing his scariest Alfred Molina impression.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2022

She also stepped up — quietly, but critically — at a moment of crisis in early 2019, when the governor was nearly driven from office by a blackface scandal.

From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2022