"Darkening Mirrors is a powerful argument that during the 1930's, African American popular performers took part in U.S. imperial and nationalist projects even as they resisted the dominant culture's racism. In vivid, illuminating readings of films and stage shows-from The 'Swing' Mikado and the Federal Theater Project's 'voodoo' Macbeth to Katherine Dunham's concert balletL'Ag Ya-Stephanie Leigh Batiste makes her case stick, and she makes it sting. At the same time, she writes beautifully about how black Americans asserted the genius of African and Afro-diasporic arts on the national and transnational scene." -Joseph Roach, Yale University