People, Locations, Episodes

Mamie Hilyer, Classical Music Advocate born

*Mamie Hilyer was born on this date in 1863. She was a Black pianist and promoter of classical music.   Mamie Elizabeth Nichols was born in the District of Columbia. An accomplished pianist, she was an ‘active member of the city’s Black upper class. Hilyer became a devoted champion of ‘good music’ and its cultivation […]

Flora Batson, Concert Singer born

On this date in 1864, Flora Batson was born. She was an African American concert singer.

From Washington D.C., Batson’s youth was primarily spent in Providence, Rhode Island where she made her first public appearances. Batson sang in churches and a variety of programs promoting women’s temperance. She reached a summit with her career in 1885 with the Bergen Star Company as their lead singer. In 1896, another phase of her singing took place with Black bassist Gerard Miller. The two performed together as a feature duet with the South Before the War Company.

Ernest Hogan, Stage Performer born

*The birth of Ernest Hogan, c1865, is celebrated on this date.  He was a Black dancer, musician, comedian, actor, and producer.    He was born Ernest Reuben Crowders in the Shake Rag District of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Little is known about his childhood, but as a teenager, he traveled with a minstrel troupe called the Georgia Graduate, […]

The ‘Celebration of Freedom by the Colored People in Washington D.C.’ Drawing is Created

*On this date in 1866, this sketch, “Celebration of the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia by the colored people in Washington D.C.,” was created.   The artist, Frederick Dielman. Served as a topographer and draughtsman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Fortress Monroe and Baltimore from 1866 to 1872. It was published in Harper’s Weekly […]

The Hyers Sisters Debut On Stage

*On this date in 1867, the Hyers Sisters performed their first stage show. They were Black Vaudeville Act singers and pioneers of Black musical theater.   The duo was Anna Madah and Emma Louise.  Their father, Samuel B. Hyers, came west to Sacramento, California, with their mother, Annie E. Hyers (née Cryer), after the Gold […]

Robert Allen Cole Jr., Playwright born

*Robert Allen Cole Jr. was born on this date in 1868. He was a Black composer, actor, playwright, stage producer, and director.   He was born in Athens, Georgia, where his father, Robert Allen Cole, Sr., and mother, Isabella Thomas Weldon, settled after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.   There, it became a prosperous city dominated by Black communities and professionals. […]

Will Cook, Composer, and Arranger born

*On this date, Will Cook was born in 1869. He was an African American composer and arranger.

Born in Washington D.C., Will Marion Cook was the son of John Cook, the treasurer of Howard University. In 1882, he went to Oberlin College to study violin, returning three years later to give his first recitals. After studying in Berlin with the great Joseph Joachim, Cook returned to America and within five years was performing at Carnegie Hall.

Harriett Gibbs-Marshall, Pianist, and Educator born

*Harriett Gibbs Marshall was born on this date in 1869. She was an African American concert pianist, author, and educator.

Sissieretta Jones, Opera Singer born

*The birth of Sissieretta Jones is remembered on this date in 1869. She was an African American concert and spiritual singer.

Tom Lemonier, Actor, and Composer, born

*Tom Lemonier was born on this date in 1870. He was a Black actor and composer. Little is known about his childhood. He contributed to popular music during the ragtime era, mainly active in Black Vaudeville. His work has been featured in various musicals. The Gotham-Attucks Music Publishing Company published some of his work. Numerous recordings […]

Estelle Ricketts, Composer born

*This date in 1871 celebrates the birth of Estelle Ricketts, a Black composer who lived in Darby, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. She lived with her mother, her younger brother, and her father, who operated a boarding stable. She was the only one in her family who could read and write.           Career            Estelle Ricketts’s […]

James Weldon Johnson, Lyricist, and Composer born

James Weldon Johnson was born on this date in 1871. He was an African American composer, lyricist, publisher, lawyer, and educator.

Charles E. Johnson, 19th-century Dancer born

*Charles E. Johnson was born on this date in 1871. He was a Black dancer. From Saint Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri, he grew up in Minneapolis. As a teenager, he worked at the Nicollet Hotel. His wife, Dora Babbige, was born in Kentucky. The couple met while performing as part of the same vaudeville […]

Isaac Hathaway, Sculptor, and Teacher born

*The birth of Isaac Hathaway in 1872 is marked on this date. He was an African- merican Sculptor, Ceramicist, Illustrator, and Teacher.

Dora Dean, Vaudeville Dancer born

*Dora Dean’s birth is celebrated on this date in 1872. She was a Black dancer and entertainer. She was born Dora Babbige in Cloverport, Kentucky. She worked as a nursemaid in Cincinnati, Ohio, before becoming an entertainer. Dean debuted as a dancer with a Creole traveling show. In vaudeville, she was “The Black Venus.” She was […]