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

Two former students of a Mountain View high school were awarded $1 million and tuition reimbursement after they were expelled for wearing acne face masks, which were interpreted as “blackface,” and sued.

From Los Angeles Times

In response, Maher told Williams that blackface couldn’t be used in this generation of entertainment, not without backlash.

From Los Angeles Times

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

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

From BBC

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