I think what disappoints me the most is that, like you said, there is artistic expression that seems to be forever revoked due to the historical use of blackface.

Well, to be fair, I don't think it's forever revoked. We probably won't live to see the day when it's fair game, but we're also living pretty close to the time when it was in its "prime" as a tool of oppression. From a historical/cultural standpoint, a couple hundred years is basically nothing.

Also, we haven't gotten over many (perhaps all) of the issues that led to minstrelsy in the first place. From a legal standpoint, people of all races are equal, but that's only the law. There are still many people who are rabidly racist, and many people are still oppressed today. The difference is that it's usually indirect rather than direct, but that doesn't change the fact that it's happening.

As long as the underlying issues of racism and bigotry and inequality are still there, it's really difficult to truly move on. What can you do, really? Say "this looks really similar to what we did last time, but our heart's in the right place this time around, trust us!" ... even if you're being honest, it's not ideal.

For that matter, how can a stranger tell if you're being honest or not? How would you even try to communicate your intentions to them in the first place? As someone who may have indirectly benefited from oppression in the past, talking to someone who has almost certainly indirectly suffered from it, is it really fair to suggest that it's been long enough and they need to get over it?

ps, I made a reply that you might've missed since it was to the other person and not you, you might be curious about it.