The History of Blackface

Enjoy this activity online until June 13th!

Click here to buy a ticket for the webcast

In each edition of the Festival, we endeavor to react to current events. This year we were drawn to Blackface, a polemic that has making us react for a long time.

The conference will inform the public of the history of Blackface in the Unites States and Quebec: how the practice spread throughout the American continent, how it was used and how it manifests today. The balance of power which exists in the artistic milieu and the Quebec media will be explored in order to develop an understanding of the Blackface phenomenon that will be used as a springboard towards progress, understanding and a renewed commitment to Quebec values.

Rachel Décoste is a writer, educator and expert in social policies. She worked in Washington where she honed her expertise on socioeconomic policy while managing a national initiative on computer science education for the US Congress. Ms Decoste was named among the 100 most accomplished black women in Canada in 2018. She published over 150 editorials on diversity, racism and immigration policies in Quebec and Canada. She is also cited in a dozen academic research articles from the US, Canada and Europe. She has given conferences on diversity and inclusion in many prominent Canadian and American universities.

Conference in webcast

The conference will be offered in French with a period of discussion and questions in English and French.