I did a collection of historical songs about water ways and travel at the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, NY. While we think of the Minstrel Shows travelling the Mississippi River on steam boats The minstrel shows traveled the canal as well. One of the songs I discussed was Buffalo Gals. Buffalo Gals started life as a variety of songs, most notably Lubly Fan. And it lampooned African American life. I did a much more sanitized version.

I also mentioned Kingdom Comin' (The Year of Jubilo) and like Old Black Joe altho' they are usually sung in a presumed slave accent they are not racist in the writing. And while I will not intentionally do a performance that diminishes the life of anyone in the audience I make it clear that as a historian sometimes we have to discuss uncomfortable times in the humane experience.

The best glimpse of our history is in the writings from the era a
into which we are looking.

Don Meixner