A new book by Rhae Lynn Barnes examines how minstrelsy once occupied the center of the nation’s cultural life.

In her new book, Darkology, historian Rhae Lynn Barnes writes about how blackface and minstrel shows became one of the most popular forms of entertainment in 19th- and 20th-century America.

NEWBURYPORT — Newburyport Black History Initiative co-organizer Geordie Vining will make a presentation Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. about blackface minstrel shows frequently seen on stage in ...

The sight of middle-class South Bay suburbanites donning blackface makeup in order to play roles in minstrel shows at the local high school auditorium benefit show is wildly inappropriate by modern ...

Minstrel shows were in their heyday from the 1830s and through the Civil War, endured during Reconstruction then faded. White performers darkened their faces and wore shredding clothing in imitation ...