People, Locations, Episodes

Carol Channing, Entertainer born

*Carol Channing was born on this date in 1921. She is an African American actress.

She was born in Seattle, Washington. When she left home to attend Bennington College, her mother informed her that her father, a journalist whom she had believed was born in Rhode Island, was actually a light-complected African American born in Augusta, Georgia who had passed for white, saying that the only reason she was telling her was so she wouldn’t be surprised “if she had a black baby”.

Theater Owners Booking Association is Formed

*This 1921 date celebrates the Theatre Owners Booking Association or T.O.B.A.  They were the vaudeville circuit for Black performers in the 1920s. The association was established following the work of vaudeville performer Sherman H. Dudley. By 1909, Dudley was widely known as the “Lone Star Comedian” and had begun an attempt to have a black-owned […]

Vivian Dandridge, Singer, Dancer and Actress born.

*Vivian Dandridge was born on this date in 1921. She was a Black singer, actress, and dancer. Vivian Alferetta Dandridge was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Cyril Dandridge. She was the older sister of actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge and the daughter of actress Ruby Dandridge. Her parents separated shortly before the birth of her […]

The Musical ‘Shuffle Along’ Debuts on Broadway

On this date in 1921, “Shuffle Along” became one of the earliest African American Broadway Musicals. The show was an all-Black musical comedy by Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle.

“Shuffle Along” was written, produced, directed, and performed by Blacks. This musical comedy was tried out in Harlem; Washington, DC; New Jersey; and Philadelphia before it opened in New York and set the pattern for Black musicals for many years after its premiere. “Shuffle Along” gave us such hit songs as: “Shuffle Along,” “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” “Gypsy Blues,” and “Love Will Find A Way.”

Slappy White, Comedian born

*”Slappy” White was born on this date in 1921.  He was a Black comedian and actor.   Melvin Edward “Slappy” White was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  His official biography reported that he “ran away to join the circus” as a child. White was born near the old Royal Theatre in Baltimore; by age 10, he […]

The Lincoln Theater, (Washington D.C.) Opens

*On this date from 1922 we celebrate the opening of the Lincoln Theater.

Located in Washington, D.C. The Lincoln Theater was the center of a cultural renaissance that predated Harlem. Washington natives Duke Ellington and Pearl Bailey were joined by nationally acclaimed artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, Nat King Cole, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, and Sarah Vaughn who performed regularly there. Even Franklin Delano Roosevelt had his birthday parties at the Lincoln Colonnade, a festive party hall once located at the Theater.

Vinnette Carroll, Actress, and Director born

*Vinnette Carroll was born on this date in 1922. She was an African American actress, playwright, and director from New York City.

Her parents were Florence and Edgar Carroll. When she was three, the family moved to Jamaica; and consequently, young Carroll spent much of her childhood in the West Indies. She received a B.A. from Long Island University in 1944; and an M.A. from New York University in 1946, followed by doctoral work in psychology at Columbia University. Carroll’s father encouraged his daughters to become physicians, and as a compromise, she chose psychology.

Jane White, Stage Actress, and Dancer born

*Jane White was born on this date in 1922. She was an African American stage actress and dancer.

Warren M. Robbins, Art Collector born.

*Warren M. Robbins was born on this date in 1923.  He was a white Jewish-American art collector.   Warren Murray Robbins was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, to Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. He attended the University of New Hampshire, earning a bachelor’s degree in English in 1945. He was awarded a master’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1949, majoring in history. After graduating […]

‘The Charleston’ (Dance) Goes Public

On this date in 1923, “Runnin’ Wild” opened at the Colonial Theater in New York City. This Miller and Lyles Production was the first public introduction of the dance “The Charleston” to New York and the world.

The Black chorus line moved and sang James P. Johnson’s “Charleston” and other songs. In the show both dance and songs expressed the mood of reckless daring, abandon, and restlessness of the jazz-age flappers.

Soon “The Charleston” became the trend and craze throughout the United States and the world. The show had 228 performances and closed on June 28, 1924

Saka Acquaye, Playwright and Musician born

*Saka Acquaye was born on this date in 1923. He was a Black Ghanaian musician, playwright, sculptor, and textile designer. Saka Acquaye was born in Accra, Ghana, the sixth child of his parents, Regina and John Akweifio. He attended the Methodist School, Accra Royal School, and then Government Boys Schools. He obtained a Cadbury Scholarship to […]

William Marshall, Stage and Screen Actor born

*William Marshall was born on this date in 1924. He was an African American stage and screen actor.

Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Marshall graduated from that cities Roosevelt High School. His acting career began in the early 1950s with the films Lydia Bailey, Demetrius and the Gladiators, and Sabu and the Magic Ring, in which he played “Ubal,” the genie.

Theresa Merritt, Stage, Musicals, and TV actress born

Theresa Merritt was born on this date in 1924. She was an African American actress.

She was born in Emporia, VA, and probably best recognized from her role as “Mama Eloise” on the TV sitcom “That’s My Mama.” Merritt’s talents found success on TV, film, and the stage. In 1985, she received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” on Broadway. Her films included “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “All That Jazz,” and she played “Aunt Em” in the musical “The Wiz.”

Linda Hopkins, Singer, and Actress born

*Linda Hopkins was born on this date in 1924. She was a Black actress and blues and gospel singer. Born Melinda Helen Matthews in New Orleans, Louisiana, the second child of the Reverend Fred Matthews, Sr. and Hazel Smith, Hopkins grew up in the section of New Orleans known by the locals as “Zion City.” […]

Matthew Beard Jr., Child Actor born.

*Matthew Beard Jr. was born on this date in 1925. He was a Black child actor. Beard was born near Los Angeles, California, to Matthew Beard Sr. and Johnnie Mae Beard (née Clay). His father was the founding pastor of the Beloved Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles. Beard previously played baby parts […]