Course Summary

In this 20-day asynchronous course, participants engage in a historical, critical, and cultural examination of blackface performance in America from the early 18th through 20th centuries. Using an innovative “history theater" pedagogy, we trace the genre’s origins, ascendancy, and eventual decline, and investigate its lasting impact on racial perceptions and American popular culture. 

History theater pedagogy is an educational approach that integrates historical inquiry with theatrical methods to enhance learning. In this method, students and educators explore historical events, figures, and cultural movements through performance-based activities, such as staged readings, re-enactments, character improvisations, and scripted scenes. By stepping into the roles and experiences of people from the past, learners gain a more immersive, empathetic, and nuanced understanding of historical contexts and their lasting cultural significance. This approach can deepen critical thinking, encourage active participation, and foster greater engagement with historical material than traditional lecture or text-based methods alone.

PLEASE NOTE: This course begins February 3rd, 2025 and ends February 28th, 2025. Enrollment ends upon reaching max capacity, or 1 week prior to course launch! Enroll and reserve your seat today, or contact [email protected] for a discounted rate for bulk student enrollment.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze the cultural and historical origins of blackface performance

  • Trace the rise and decline of American minstrel shows

  • Assess the enduring legacy of blackface entertainment

  • Engage critically with primary sources

Specific Topics

    1. Course Introduction

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Pre-Course Survey

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Feb 3rd - An Intro to Blackface Minstrel Shows

    1. Feb 4th - Review Our Legal Agreement

    2. Feb 4th - International Origins of Blackface Performance

    3. Feb 4th - Check Your Understanding

    4. Feb 5th - National Origins of Blackface Entertainment

    5. Feb 5th - Check Your Understanding II

    6. Feb 6th - Watch a Tambo and Bones Routine

    7. Feb 6th - Cultural Authenticity?

    8. Feb 7th - Analyzing the Sheet Music

    9. Feb 7th - Co-hort Zoom Discussion

    10. Feb 10th - Example Plantation Melody

    11. Feb 11th - Early Black Cultural Appropriation

    12. Feb 12th - The Irish American Influence

    13. Feb 12th - End of Unit Survey

    1. Feb 13th - Reclaiming African American Identity

    2. Feb 14th - Family Friendly Entertainment?

    3. Feb 17th - What The Audience Wanted

    4. Feb 18th - Black Men In Blackface

    5. Feb 19th - Black-led Minstrel Shows

    6. Feb 19th - Black Minstrel Companies and Black Performers

    7. Feb 19th - Check Your Understanding III

    8. Feb 20th - Examples of Black Minstrel Performers Without Blackface

    9. Feb 21st - The Birth of the Jim Crow Character

    10. Feb 21st - Co-hort Zoom Discussion

    11. Feb 24th - Consider the following images

    12. Feb 24th - From Stage to Screen

    13. Feb 25th - Consider This Cartoon

    14. Feb 26th - The Minstrel Line

    15. Feb 26th - Check Your Understanding IV

    1. Feb 27th - Digital Blackface

    2. Feb 27th - It's Still Going On

    3. Feb 27th - Post- Course Survey

    4. Feb 28th - Co-hort Zoom Discussion

    5. Feb 28th - Leave Student Feedback

About this course

  • $25.00
  • 36 lessons
  • 1 hour of video content