Onstage

This chapter examines the persistence of coerced performances, this time on stage, throughout plantation communities, small farms, and some urban communities. Drawing on slave narratives, travel journals, planter's writings, and publications, it shows how the erroneous perceptions of race in th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRing Shout, Wheel About
Main Author Thompson, Katrina Dyonne
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published University of Illinois Press 01.07.2016
Subjects
Applied Music
blacks
coerced performances
music
onstage performances
performing arts
plantation communities
racial stereotypes
slavery
slaves
whites
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Summary:This chapter examines the persistence of coerced performances, this time on stage, throughout plantation communities, small farms, and some urban communities. Drawing on slave narratives, travel journals, planter's writings, and publications, it shows how the erroneous perceptions of race in the United States were staged within the performing arts. It describes coercion and expectation to perform as an important component of the institution of slavery. Whites continually asserted negative racial stereotypes concerning music and dance while constantly forcing the slaves to perform. The chapter considers how these onstage performances veiled white fears of black rebellion while portraying a paternalistic society to Northerners, European observers, and abolitionists. It argues that the racial imagery within these public performances exhibited blacks' role as submissive in society while whites, the audience, remained superior.
ISBN:9780252038259
0252038258
DOI:10.5406/illinois/9780252038259.003.0004