In her essay Two Afro-American Contributions to Dramatic Form, Eleanor W. Traylor argues that African-Americans contributed two major contributions to the history of drama. One of these contributions is the minstrel show, which is a black tradition that was stolen to make offensive blackface shows. Masks associated with the minstrel show come from Yoruba traditions, and when the masks were appropriated, it was by a group of people who did not understand or appreciate their significance. Unfortunately, the racist minstrel caricatures and shows have overshadowed the value of minstrel shows in history. The form of the minstrel show is the most important to understand. Minstrel shows are carefully designed improvisational variety shows with a fluid
