The Dark History of “Jingle Bells”: From Blackface Minstrelsy to Christmas Classic

by Ezekiel J. Walker, The Black Wall Street Times

The cheerful melody of “Jingle Bells” is an indelible part of the modern holiday soundscape, synonymous with winter wonder and festive joy. Yet, this seemingly innocent classic, penned by James Lord Pierpont in 1857, carries a troubled history inextricably linked to the dark era of American slavery and the racist performance tradition of minstrelsy.

To fully appreciate its legacy, we must look beyond the jingly chorus and confront the uncomfortable context of its creation and initial reception.

“Jingle Bells” was originally named “One Horse Open Sleigh”

Originally titled “One Horse Open Sleigh,” the song debuted in the very heart of minstrel culture. Historical research suggests that the song’s first known public performance took place at Ordway Hall in Boston in September 1857, featured in a program by blackface minstrel performer Johnny Pell.

Minstrel shows were a form of entertainment where white performers donned blackface makeup to mock and caricature enslaved and free African Americans, popularizing deeply racist stereotypes.

This link to minstrelsy casts a long, unsettling shadow. While the surviving lyrics of “Jingle Bells” itself are focused on sleigh riding, flirting, and a minor accident, its inclusion in a minstrel show aligns it with a theatrical genre built on the dehumanization of Black people.

Read more.

Read about the Long Tradition of the Imitative Performance of Blackness.

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