Megyn Kelly defended blackface on the 'Today' show, but here's the racist history behind it

This week, Megyn Kelly defended wearing blackface— the racist act of nonblack people wearing makeup to try to look black — before issuing an apology for her comments. 

"I was wrong and I am sorry," she said on NBC's "Today" show Wednesday. "I learned that the history of blackface is being used in awful ways by racists in this country. It is not okay for that to be part of any costume, Halloween or otherwise." 

Blackface, as Megyn Kelly said she didn't known until this week, is more than just a form of makeup meant to make one's skin darker. It has a history of being used to mock African-Americans and exclude black actors from the entertainment industry.