Hidden Messages in Black Performance

Khyla Johnson Professor Harris African American Lit 22 April 2026 Hidden Messages in Black Performance In Black performance a very important aspect that has always existed is hidden messages. From early spirituals to modern music and even in film, Black artists have used performance to send messages by making people think. These messages often deal with race, power, survival, and identity. As Thomas DeFrantz explains in From Negro Expression to Black Performance, Black performance is not just entertainment. It is a way of communicating culture, resistance, and lived experience. Guthrie Ramsey also shows in his article African American Music that Black music carries many layered meanings that reflect both the past and present struggles of the Black experience. One example of hidden messages in Black performance is the film Sinners. On the surface, it may seem like a story about crime or morality, but deeper analysis shows themes about systemic oppression and survival. Key hidden underlying themes include the repurposing of Christian missionary themes, the long history of slavery, and the exploitation of Black musical creation, employing the "crossroads" myth as a metaphor. The characters often move in ways that reflect real-life pressures faced by Black communities. Without going too deep into the movie, we see a lot of themes to be uncovered the more time goes along since the movie has been released. This 2 connects to DeFrantz’s idea that Black performance holds meaning beyond what is immediately visible. The performance becomes a space where messages are expressed through indirect measures. Another example is Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show. At first, it looked like a regular performance with strong visuals and choreography. Many people tried to dismiss his performances by saying it wasn’t meant for the Super Bowl. When you look closer, there were clear symbols of Black history and struggle. Key hidden meanings included incorporating Samuel L. Jackson critiquing "Uncle Tom" narratives, performing a, "40 acres and a mule" reference, constructing a divided American flag with dancers, and using Playstation-themed, prison-like setups. Every detail of the Super Bowl performance was very calculated from the colors, positioning, and movements. Lamar usually uses coded/ hidden messages in his music about brutality and Black identity. This is explained by G. Ramsey's work, which basically explains how Black music has always communicated themes that both speak to Black audiences and the general public. Alongside musicians and filmmakers, black comedians typically use subliminal messages in their performances. In their acts, comedians like Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor are known to use humor to address important topics like racism and inequality. As the audience laughs, they are also pushed to think about more serious social problems. Jokes can also be used by comedians to discuss current events in the industry. One example of this is Chappelle using the story of Iceberg Slim in one of his shows to discuss how powerful systems (record labels or television networks) corrupt individuals. The message is that the "system" is the antagonist, rather than the people 3 working within it. This connects us back to the point that the use of this particular vernacular tradition can be used to serve a deeper purpose by reflecting on past/current issues through themed performances. Overall, hidden messages in Black performance are powerful because they allow artists to speak on real issues in creative ways. Whether through film, music, or comedy, these performances carry layers of meaning. DeFrantz and Ramsey both show that Black performance is more than just art. It is a form of communication, resistance, and cultural expression that continues to evolve today.