Starting in the 1880s, Black performers and those invested in telling stories centering Black people attempted to counter the dehumanizing and harmful stereotypes used to portray Black characters. Shows began touting “All Colored Revues” to indicate that a cast was made up of actual Black performers rather than white people in blackface and that these spectacles aimed to build stories around the perception of Black experiences. Although these performances were sometimes flawed and even overtly prejudiced, they represented a significant form of Black American cultural development and expression. Playwrights and composers also expanded the ways in which Black humanity was represented on stage, adding emotional depth and a range of perspectives.
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