Fresh Air

The hidden history of blackface in America

March 9, 2026·44 min·5-min readnarrativehistory
Podzilla Summary (5 min)
TLDR
The episode of Fresh Air with Raylan Barnes explores the deeply entrenched and often hidden history of amateur blackface in American culture, revealing how it was not a relic of the 19th century but a mainstream, federally supported form of entertainment well into the 1970s. The convers

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Guest

R

Raylan Barnes

narrative on Fresh Air

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Raylan BarnesT.D. RiceStephen FosterFranklin D. RooseveltBetty Reed

Books

Darkologyby Raylan Barnes

Companies

Works Progress Administration

Topics

American HistoryCivil Rights HistoryHistorical FiguresLong Form JournalismRacial Justice

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