Manifestations of Blackness in China Pop Culture

This wonderful three-part talk hosted by Poster House features:

1. Dr. Keisha A. Brown on the erasure of Blackness in recent advertising. For example, when an ad that John Boyega conceived and starred in for British brand Jo Malone was recreated, without permission, by the brand in China where Blackness was overwritten by Han Chinese imagery.
2. Dr. Claire Conceison on the history of blackface in Chinese theater, which has finally being phased out by with practices such as actors wearing red or white carnations to represent Black and white people. She also discusses how China’s theater scene interpreted and adapted Black plays in the US for their own political reality decades ago — as fellow underdogs fighting Western hegemony.
3. Faye Lu on how hip hop and trap has been adapted in China. In particular, she discusses how its increasing popularity means it now faces pressure to be more nationalistic, to convey “positive energy” as dictated by the state cultural guidelines.

Watch the full talk here.