Blackface, the practice of white performers darkening their skin to portray a person of color, is an ugly vestige of what many would say is a bygone era; in the United States, it was common fare in minstrel-show productions, where whites played the roles of African-Americans by painting their faces black, often with shoe polish. However, its presence is still felt in pockets of society, and those who adopt the racist practice are rightfully chastised and admonished.

Just yesterday, a major announcement from a major international opera company has extended the conversation about blackface into the realm of the high-brow. According to NPR, the Metropolitan Opera company of New York City has announced that it will no longer be using blackface makeup in its production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello, an opera whose lead character (who is North African) is often played by non-Black singers. In its official statement, the Met does not directly address the racist undertones of the cosmetic alteration to the singer’s face, but instead explains it is related to a “committed to color-blind casting, which allows the best singers possible to perform any role, regardless of their racial background.” Nevertheless, the news is being celebrated by most and it has allowed for a discussion about the oft-overlooked Black opera star to manifest.

Spike Lee’s 2000 film Bamboozled helped to bring the conversation about blackface and minstrelsy into popular discourse, but it wasn’t the first nor the last critique of the racist practice to permeate American popular culture. In 2011, Beyoncé was lambasted for her participation in a photo shoot which incorporated blackface makeup, proving that the practice is socially unacceptable, no matter the color of the person involved. In addition, it seems that every Halloween, there are costumes that are questionable at best, and overtly racist at worst. More recently, the energy-beverage company Red Bull was vociferously criticized for its use of blackface in a promotional video on its website last month.

As more and more societal strata rid themselves of the practice of blackface, is progress being made?

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