Skip to Main Content

A History of Blackface and Minstrel Shows at Puget Sound

This digital teaching collection focuses on a history of blackface and minstrel shows at the University of Puget Sound.

Discussion Questions

Below are some general discussion questions that can be adapted to many instructional settings:

  1. What is blackface? What is a minstrel show?
  2. The Denison’s Make-Up Guide... is a catalog, which was published in 1926 for amateur and professional actors and features instances of blackface as well as stereotypical and racist characters. What does this catalog tell us about the market and demand for these items? 
  3. When minstrel shows were performed at Puget Sound, who performed in them? What does this tell us about the culture of the campus and the broader community?
  4. The minstrel show “Gentlemen Be Seated,” was part of the 1947 Homecoming weekend. Where is the show advertised? How is it described? Is it being part of the Homecoming weekend schedule noteworthy?
  5. As reflected in the digital teaching collection, blackface incidents continue on campus into the 21st century. How does the act of performance connect some of these instances of blackface at Puget Sound between the 20th & 21st centuries? How are the instances distinct from one another?
  6. In the November 30, 2007, issue of The Trail, a new campus organization, the Bias and Hate Education Response Team (BHERT), was formed. What were some of their goals as an organization? What methods were they going to use to achieve them?

Classroom Activities

Below are a few classroom activities that can be adapted to various instructional settings:

  1. The materials in this digital teaching collection show students, faculty, and staff at the University of Puget Sound in blackface, performing in minstrel shows held on campus. Have students view these sources and research the history of minstrel shows in the United States. Have students create an informative poster explaining the history of blackface and how it still impacts us today. 

  2. One of the sources in this digital teaching collection is the script for a campus minstrel  show titled “Sho’Nuff.” Typical of the genre, the show is full of racial stereotypes. Compare and contrast “Sho’Nuff” with modern entertainment such as a television show or movie. What stereotypes are still perpetuated today? Why are stereotypes so common in entertainment? How can we combat such stereotypes?