On September 26, our class focused on the minstrel shows and how they were taken from the Jim Crow laws. I had explored the topic of minstrels before in a history class in high school, but honestly forgot about the topic. It’s a fascinating topic to try and comprehend why during the civil era were they minstrel shows and songs so beloved by everyone. Considering that Lincoln was against slavery it is extremely strange that he enjoyed and loved going to minstrel shows even though they belittled blacks. The oddest part of the minstrel shows in my opinion, is that before the 1900’s you could not appear in the minstrel shows if you were black you had to be white. What is even more bizarre to me is why would a black person want to partake in a show that mocks their culture to bring comedy to others. The entire topic is unusual and the shows probably would not thrive in todays time period with how politically correct society has become. It nearly shocks me how popular the minstrel shows were and how it was just successful overseas. The minstrel shows became international entertainment existing in England, France, etc. and in an puzzling way sort of connected the world with a shared interest in these shows. Seeing pictures of the amount of black paint that was put on their faces is disturbing and I can’t help but think about how much would break out by having black face. We concluded our class by listening to Mammy by Al Jolson and I felt uncomfortable during the entire song. I honestly can’t help but be thankful that I did not exist in this era as it made me feel uneasy during the entire class.