This section of the Authentic History
Center's "Teaching Diversity With Multimedia"
collection focuses on stereotypes of people of African
descent from the end of the American Civil War in
a small collection of images of black celebrities
in the early 20th Century. Many Caucasian Americans
formed their impressions of Black people from such
notables as boxer Jack Johnson and actor Stepin' Fetchit,
who made a career for himself mastering the coon role
in films. Other Black celebrities weren't Black at
all, but White actors in "blackface," a
makeup made of burnt cork. For more on this phenomeon,
see the section on minstrel music and coon songs. |
