About the book
In the early 1890s, black performer Bob Cole turned blackface minstrelsy on its head with his nationally recognized whiteface creation, a character he called Willie Wayside. Just over a century later, hiphop star Busta Rhymes performed a whiteface supercop in his hit music video “Dangerous.” In this sweeping work, Marvin McAllister explores the enduring tradition of “whiting up,” in which African American actors, comics, musicians, and even everyday people have studied and assumed white racial identities.
Not to be confused with racial “passing” or derogatory notions of “acting white,” whiting up is a deliberate performance strategy designed to challenge America’s racial and political hierarchies by transferring supposed markers of whiteness to black bodies — creating unexpected intercultural alliances even as it sharply critiques racial stereotypes. Along with conventional theater, McAllister considers a variety of other live performance modes, including weekly promenading rituals, antebellum cakewalks, solo performance, and standup comedy. For over three centuries, whiting up as allowed African American artists to appropriate white cultural production, fashion new black identities through these “white” forms, and advance our collective ability to locate ourselves in others.
Editions of Whiting Up
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807835081
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469618807
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807869062
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469602431
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890879639
- EBook
- ISBN 9798893132007
Read an Excerpt
In the early 1890s, black performer Bob Cole turned blackface minstrelsy on its head with his nationally recognized whiteface creation, a character he called Willie Wayside. Just over a century later, hiphop star Busta Rhymes performed a whiteface supercop in his hit music video “Dangerous.” In this sweeping work, Marvin McAllister explores the enduring tradition of “whiting up,” in which African American actors, comics, musicians, and even everyday people have studied and assumed white racial identities.
Not to be confused with racial “passing” or derogatory notions of “acting white,” whiting up is a deliberate performance strategy designed to challenge America’s racial and political hierarchies by transferring supposed markers of whiteness to black bodies — creating unexpected intercultural alliances even as it sharply critiques racial stereotypes. Along with conventional theater, McAllister considers a variety of other live performance modes, including weekly promenading rituals, antebellum cakewalks, solo performance, and standup comedy. For over three centuries, whiting up as allowed African American artists to appropriate white cultural production, fashion new black identities through these “white” forms, and advance our collective ability to locate ourselves in others.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Whiting Up about?
In the early 1890s, black performer Bob Cole turned blackface minstrelsy on its head with his nationally recognized whiteface creation, a character he called Willie Wayside. Just over a century later, hiphop star Busta Rhymes performed a whiteface supercop in his hit music video “Dangerous.” In this sweeping work, Marvin McAllister explores the enduring tradition of “whiting up,” in which African American actors, comics, musicians, and even everyday people have studied and assumed white racial identities.
Not to be confused with racial “passing” or derogatory notions of “acting white,” whiting up is a deliberate performance strategy designed to challenge America’s racial and political hierarchies by transferring supposed markers of whiteness to black bodies — creating unexpected intercultural alliances even as it sharply critiques racial stereotypes. Along with conventional theater, McAllister considers a variety of other live performance modes, including weekly promenading rituals, antebellum cakewalks, solo performance, and standup comedy. For over three centuries, whiting up as allowed African American artists to appropriate white cultural production, fashion new black identities through these “white” forms, and advance our collective ability to locate ourselves in others.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Whiting Up?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Ethnic studies / Ethnicity
Where can I read a sample of Whiting Up?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807835081
How long is Whiting Up and how many pages does it have?
Whiting Up has 352 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Whiting Up?
Marvin McAllister
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Whiting Up is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807835081) and paperback(ISBN 9781469618807) and ebook(ISBN 9780807869062) and ebook(ISBN 9781469602431) and ebook(ISBN 9798890879639) and ebook(ISBN 9798893132007)
Where can I buy Whiting Up online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Whiting Up from below
Where can I buy Whiting Up?