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.

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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

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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

Black actors in the horror space have come on leaps and bounds from the early days of blackface in Hollywood.

From BBC • Aug. 24, 2023

Objecting to the academy’s efforts, Dreyfuss cited white English actor Laurence Olivier, who was in blackface for his Oscar-nominated performance in 1965’s “Othello.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2023

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

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2023

In 2019, he criticized then-Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver after Oliver sent a note to staff reacting to news that Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, was embroiled in a blackface scandal.

From Washington Post • Jun. 23, 2022