Talking Infrastructure, Education, and Canada and the Blackface Atlantic

The Authority File

Dr. Cheryl Thompson, Associate Professor in Performance at Toronto Metropolitan University, joins the program to discuss her latest book, Canada and the Blackface Atlantic: Performing Slavery, Conflict, and Freedom, 1812-1897. The first in a trilogy, the title investigates the origins of blackface in Canada, tracing the rise of minstrel shows in the 19th century and how they converged with growing infrastructure in railways, theater, and the entertainment industry. In the next four episodes, Cheryl dives into her research and writing process, in addition to her essential work in the archives. She also examines how American enslavement shaped the portrayal of Black people in minstrel shows and the contention between Black choral groups rising in tandem with minstrelsy performances.

In this first episode, Cheryl introduces us to her scholarship and a major through line of her work—how systems of production intersect with gender, race, and power structures. Describing blackface as a “socializing agent” during the 19th century, Cheryl explains how the theater acted not only as a form of entertainment, but a powerful educational tool on US enslavement, westward expansion, and the Jim Crow era. Without a school system or nationwide curriculum in place, minstrel shows taught audiences about these topics—but from an extremely biased point of view that introduced or reinforced existing narratives of Black people in the US North and South. Last, Cheryl connects back to the topic of infrastructure, illustrating how the railroads in Canada were integral to the growth of traveling theater groups.

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