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AP Explains: Racist history of blackface began in the 1830s
WASHINGTON — A racist photo from a 1984 yearbook threatens to end Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s political career. The photo shows two people: one in blackface and one wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe. The image generated intense pressure for Northam to resign and offered the latest example of a prominent white person facing harsh criticism for wearing blackface. Here’s a look at the practice and its history:
BLACKFACE ORIGINS
Blackface minstrelsy is considered by some to be the first uniquely American form of entertainment.