Historical Advisory for Screening of White Christmas
Historical Advisory
White Christmas features a musical number rooted in the tradition of blackface minstrelsy—an entertainment practice that demeaned and dehumanized Black people and whose stereotypes caused deep harm and continue to do so today.
The Songbook Foundation presents this film in its original form as part of the historical record, but we do not endorse these portrayals. We name this content clearly because its legacy remains painful and damaging.
We invite viewers to experience the film with awareness of both its artistry and the ongoing harm embedded in this part of American entertainment history.
Understanding a Harmful History
Blackface minstrelsy was one of the earliest forms of American popular entertainment. Beginning in the 1830s, white performers darkened their skin to portray racist caricatures of Black people, reinforcing harmful stereotypes that justified discrimination and violence.
These portrayals shaped stage, radio, film, and early Hollywood musicals for over a century. Even after blackface makeup fell out of use, its sounds, characters, and narrative tropes continued to influence American entertainment—including in the number “Mandy” featured in White Christmas.
Understanding this history helps us recognize how American entertainment evolved and how its legacies still shape media today. By acknowledging the harm of these portrayals, we honor the communities they targeted and engage honestly with the history behind beloved films.
Educational Resources
For a deeper perspective, explore the work of Dwan Reece, Curator of Music and Performing Arts at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Her TEDx talk explains how portrayals in Blackface have historically demeaned and trivialized Black people—and why the practice remains harmful today.
Access the following written resources for additional perspectives:
- Blackface: The Birth of An American Stereotype by the National Museum of African American History & Culture
- The Blackface of White Christmas written by Brynn Shiovitz, lecturer in dance at Chapman University
