Scholar Rhae Lynn Barnes Explores Amateur Blackface History in New Book 'Darkology'

Rhae Lynn Barnes, a Princeton scholar, has published 'Darkology: Blackface and the American Way of Entertainment,' examining the widespread practice of amateur minstrelsy in the United States. Her research reveals that blackface performances occurred in diverse settings including homes, schools, fraternal lodges, and Japanese internment camps during the 19th and 20th centuries. Barnes argues these events reinforced racial stereotypes and were often framed as patriotic activities. The book details how figures like Frederick Douglass and the NAACP opposed the tradition, and how it persisted through national crises. Barnes conducted extensive archival work, facing challenges accessing restricted materials.