The Cycle That Never Ends: Minstrelsy Then and Now
Aaron Marshall
Dr. Rebecca Daniels, Faculty Mentor
My research was basically about the history of minstrelsy and how minstrelsy is still around in our society today. I made many points, but two main points that I made was that African Americans have never been passive victims. We have always worn the badge of oppression and dealt with our circumstances, and this same attitude applies today. Second was how minstrelsy set us up for entertainment today and how we as blacks have to deal with racial and social stereotypes. I used many sources, but one source that to me was very useful and controversial was Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, where he takes a look at minstrelsy today. Spike Lee makes a lot of good points looking at many of the films and sitcoms in the twentieth century. In my conclusion I write that I want to continue my research on this topic in hopes of learning and writing more about it.