Topic: Kiana Hamill

A Boston University theater historian, Kiana Hamill, claims that the song "Jingle Bells" has a problematic history rooted in 19th-century blackface minstrelsy. The research suggests the song's racist origins were systematically removed as it became a standard Christmas carol. The hosts dismiss the claim as a stretch intended to generate media attention.

A Boston University theater history professor, Kiana Hamill, claims that the classic Christmas carol "Jingle Bells" has a problematic history rooted in 19th-century blackface minstrelsy. The research suggests the song was originally performed to mock African Americans in Boston in 1857. The claim is met with skepticism regarding whether these origins were systematically removed from history.