Early minstrelsy invented Blackness from white musical forms, not observation

Evidence

The first wave of minstrels had never meaningfully been South. In their shows, the tunes they played were based on Irish melodies and used Western choral harmonies, not the proto-gospel call-and-response spirituals that were the real Real Thing. They tethered Black people and Black life to white musical structures—like, say, the polka. The mix that would define the young nation was already well underway: Europe plus slavery plus the circus times harmony, comedy, and drama equals Americana. — Nikole Hannah-Jones et al., The 1619 Project, 1112

Categorization

• DEFINE: Distinguishes counterfeit minstrel music from the actual proto-gospel spirituals, a key definitional cut in the chapter.