African American Minstrels

       Minstrels, minstrels, minstrels. When I first came across that word in the reading, I thought about medieval times. All I had ever known about minstrels was what I had seen on television, and in movies. It reminded me of things like jesters and such. It wasn’t until I was in Robin Hood that I learned that minstrels were musical along with comedic. However, the reading was what made me realize the true origins of a minstrel.

       An example of a minstrel would be Jim Crow. White men dressed up in black face and would demean the disability of a man which was nicknamed jim crow. They sang comedically heinous songs about him and poked fun at his physical ailments. This character was created by a white man named T.D Rice. He sparked the upcoming of minstrels in the music and entertainment industries in the nineteenth century.  They would not only make fun of this one man, but of the race as a whole. They used their musical talents to entertain crowds of whites at the expense of African americans. This was a common job in the entertainment business for white men in that time period. However, shockingly enough, it was also a common job for african americans.

       It may be shocking to hear that african americans would too participate in the business that was meant to diminish their own character and well being. However, it started to sickeningly make sense as I continued reading. This was a time of slavery. Adhering to the interest of those watching the entertainment (white people) was really one of the only ways for an african american to make a semi decent living for themselves in that time. I was curious to why african americans would put themselves through that constant humiliation of who they are. But, to my oblivious mind, it was obvious as to why. They had to make money. After years of being oppressed they were willing to take any chance they could to lead a normal life. And music is something that african americans already knew. They had grew up with music, and brought it with them into every aspect of their life. In my opinion, there was no smarter way for an african american to make a living in those times.

       Although it must have been rough, the african americans who did participate in the minstrel business were nothing short of geniuses. In my opinion, there is no better way to make a decent enough living (in the time of slavery), than to use every fiber of yourself to do so. Although every white person at the time hated them and enslaved them, they found comedy in who they were. It is a seriously messed up situation and I was really nervous about posting this to a blog because I wasnt sure if it really made sense. however , to me it does make sense in some sort of way. I was oddly amazed by this.