“Successful beyond expectation:” blackface, minstrelsy, and racist entertainment at UW–Madison

Two students prepare for the UW Circus parade in 1916.The UW Circus featured a variety of student written and performed “acts” that mocked people of color. These students appear to be dressed for a Wild West showdown between cowboys and “Indians.” Photo courtesy of UW Archives.

Two men dressed for the 1916 UW Circus. Both on horseback, one dressed as a Native American man in redface makeup, and another dressed as a United States calvary officer.

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