Staging Race casts a spotlight on the generation of black artists who came of age between 1890 and World War I in an era of Jim Crow segregation and heightened racial tensions. As public entertainment expanded through vaudeville; minstrel shows; and world's fairs; black performers; like the stage duo of Bert Williams and George Walker; used the conventions of blackface to appear in front of; and appeal to; white audiences. At the same time; they communicated a leitmotif of black cultural humor and political comment to the black audiences segregated in balcony seats. With ingenuity and innovation; they enacted racial stereotypes onstage while hoping to unmask the fictions that upheld them offstage. Drawing extensively on black newspapers and commentary of the period; Karen Sotiropoulos shows how black performers and composers participated in a politically charged debate about the role of the expressive arts in the struggle for equality. Despite the racial violence; disenfranchisement; and the segregation of virtually all public space; they used America's new businesses of popular entertainment as vehicles for their own creativity and as spheres for political engagement. The story of how African Americans entered the stage door and transformed popular culture is a largely untold story. Although ultimately unable to erase racist stereotypes; these pioneering artists brought black music and dance into America's mainstream and helped to spur racial advancement.
#1724397 in Books Harvard University Press 2001-11-05 2001-09-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x .80 x 6.13l; .95 #File Name: 0674007182320 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Dispelling Our DarknessBy Roger Hedlund"Abolitionists Abroad" is an essential text by the brilliant Professor of History and World Christianity at Yale University. In this captivating book; Lamin Sanneh documents the little-known contributions of American Blacks to the making of Modern West Africa. Highly recommended for correcting our understanding of the mission of African Americans who worked to abolish the slave trade and for dispelling the darkness of our ignorance about the developing world. Available through Market.Roger E. Hedlund; PhD; Chief Editor; the Oxford Encyclopaedia of South Asian Christianity; Oxford University Press; New Delhi; 2012.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Important and Under-appreciated SubjectBy Robert L. SquiresI will disagree with the previous reviewers assessment that this book is easy to read. I found the writing to be less than clear; as though author suffered from a lack of editing. Sometimes in some passages I felt the writer rambled on a bit. I also felt there was an emphasis on missionary language. I began to wonder if this book was written for seminary students. This is only a problem for me in that I detected a bias in the writer's ideas that distracted me a little from the goal of objective historiography. This is probably due as much to the importance of missionary work in the abolitionist movement and the importance of evangelistic Christianity in the founding of Freetown; as to the beliefs of the author. Those criticisms aside; the subject matter is fascinating and very essential study for all students of the slave trade; abolition; the American Revolution; and British Imperialism. All these themes meeting is just an indication of how fascinating Abolitionists Abroad ultimately is. I just wished the author had focused less on Christian philosophy and more on the fascinating events during this period in West African history. By chapter 5 the author does make things a bit more interesting by describing the impact and successes of a rising ex-slave middle class and their participation in trade with West Africa; England and America. I would have rated it 3 stars except there's almost nothing written on this theme and wouldn't want people to be discouraged from reading this rich if less-than-greatly written history by a clearly well-studied scolar.6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Lamin Sanneh writes another brilliant workBy steve goldI have now read more than 5 of Lamin Sanneh's books and many of his published article's. Being a student of his at Yale; I was fortunate enough to learn side by side with a legend in the field of African history. Abolitionists Abroad is one that everyone must read. Sanneh writes in a clear and easy to comprehend manner that every book lover will appreciate. I highly recommend this book and others written by Lamin Sanneh including Translating the message and West African Christianity. I was fortunate enough to learn in the classroom with this brilliant mind; here is your chance to learn in your home. Five stars.
