A medieval musician or entertainer who traveled from place to place performing songs and stories, or (historically, offensively) a performer in blackface minstrel shows.
From Old French 'menestrel,' derived from Latin 'ministerialis' meaning 'servant' or 'official.' Originally meant a professional entertainer at court, later became associated with traveling performers.
The American minstrel show tradition is one of history's darkest uses of this word—white performers in blackface created a profitable entertainment industry built on racist caricatures, and this legacy still shapes how we depict performers of color today.
The minstrel tradition historically centered male performers; women entertainers were categorized separately as 'minstrel girls' or excluded entirely, reflecting gendered hierarchies in artistic credibility and compensation.
Use 'performer,' 'musician,' or 'entertainer' for gender-neutral reference. Specify gender only when historically or contextually relevant.
["performer","musician","entertainer","artist"]
Women's contributions to early music performance and storytelling were systematically erased from 'minstrel' historiography; recovering their names and works restores agency to musical lineages.
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