Source: Pictures from History / Getty
It’s that time of the year again!
Halloween is undefeated when it comes to white folks showing their whole caucasian a$$es with their choice of “costume”. Some of the most famous faces in Hollywood have been outed over the years for their wildly offensive take on the racist practice of blackface.
Blackface began back in the 1830s in New York City when the “Father of Minstrelsy” Thomas Dartmouth Rice created the lowly, uneducated, tattered, and unkempt character “Jim Crow”. The character’s name subsequently became the title of the discrimination laws that the United States adopted to oppress Black citizens.
Blackface became so ubiquitous that the United States Library of Congress saved images from that era like the one you see above from actor Billy Van. According to Travelanche, Van began as a Philadelphia-born child performer before moving on to blackface vaudeville shows.
Van became famous by mocking Black folks just like some of the aforementioned Hollywood stars of today. Hell, even current politicians have had their faux-melanated skeletons dragged from the closet for all to see.
Here’s Howard Stern in blackface making fun of black people and actress Hattie McDaniel. And you talk shit about Trump. 🖕U pic.twitter.com/PuaCUnUcG2
— Actor Rick Montoya (@Rick_Montoya) September 23, 2023
Flip the page to see more clueless white celebs who thought this type of act was the funniest thing in the word…
Jimmy Fallon did blackface…like get it together!! #boredspaces pic.twitter.com/mx8fVCmVzh
— hannah (@misshotgirlhan) December 19, 2021
Jimmy Fallon, the second Jimmy on the list, also enjoyed his time mocking African-American vernacular English while rocking a darkly painted face.
Do we still love Tom Hanks? He did blackface at a school fundraiser in 2004. pic.twitter.com/BJ7wCYjqI5
— Thoughts Of Truth 🌻💛💙 (@True_Thoughts) February 2, 2019
Tom Hanks is generally lauded as an “ally” and a more liberal leaning celebrity voice but even he thought it hilarious to don blackface back in 2004. Guess this is where Chet Hanks gets his audacity from.
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