People, Locations, Episodes

Mabel Ridley, Mezzo-Soprano born

*The birth of Mabel Ridley is celebrated on this date in 1894. She was a Black mezzo-soprano singer who appeared in Broadway theatre and revues in the 1920s and 1930s. Mabel Ridley was born in Augusta, Georgia, to Charles and Katherine Ridley in January 1894. Back in 1843, on their marriage, her grandparents, Ulysses Ridley […]

Eulalie Spence, Playwright, and Actress born

*Eulalie Spence was born on this date in 1894. She was a Black writer, teacher, stage director, actress, and playwright.  Eulalie Spence was born on the island of Nevis in the British West Indies to Robert and Eno Lake Spence, the oldest of seven girls. She spent her formative years on her father’s sugar plantation. […]

Mercedes Gilbert, Actress born

*Mercedes Gilbert was born on this date in 1894. She was a Black actress, novelist, and poet. Gilbert was a native of Jacksonville, Florida, and attended Edward Waters College. She originally trained as a nurse before coming to New York and entering the entertainment profession, first as a songwriter and then as a stage actress. Career […]

Hector Hyppolite, Haitian Artist born

*Hector Hyppolite was born on this date 1894. He was a African Haitian painter.

Hilda Wilkinson Brown, Artist, and Teacher born

*This date in 1894 is celebrated as the birth date of Hilda Wilkinson Brown, a Black artist and teacher.   Hilda Rue Wilkinson was born in Washington, D.C., and was the only one of five grandchildren to have remained in Washington, D.C., where her great-grandmother first moved after being freed from slavery in 1835.   Brown […]

Susie Edwards, Vaudeville Actress born

*The birth of Susie Edwards is celebrated on this date in 1894. She was a vaudeville singer. As a young blues singer and actress from Pensacola, Florida, Susie Hawthornes met singer-dancer Jodie “Butterbeans” Edwards in the Black touring revue “The Smart Set.” She married Jody Edwards during a show in 1917 when a publicity agent offered them […]

Manet Harrison Fowler, Classical Soprano and Musician born

*Manet Harrison Fowler was born on this date in 1895. She was a Black musician, dramatic soprano, artist, voice coach, piano teacher, conductor, music educator, and midwife. Manet Helen Harrison was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Taylor Henry Harrison, an African, and Carrie Vickers Harrison, a Creole, both Louisiana natives. She was a child […]

Allan Freelon Sr., Impressionist born

*Allan Freelon Sr. was born on this date in 1895. He was a Black artist (Impressionist), educator, and civil rights activist.    Allan Randall Freelon Sr was born in Philadelphia to Douglas Freelon and Laura E. (Goodwin) Freelon, a “middle-class family, the oldest of three children.  He attended the South Philadelphia High School for Boys, followed by a four-year scholarship to the Pennsylvania Museum and School […]

Beulah Woodard, California Artist born

On this date in 1895, Beulah Woodard was born. She was an African American artist who specialized in sculpture.

Born near Frankfort, OH, Beulah Ecton Woodard was the youngest daughter in the William P. Ecton family. In , and none affected her more deeply than a native African she met when she was 12vyears old. This began her lifelong interest in the culture of Africa.

Juano Hernández, Actor born

*Juano Hernández was born on this date in 1896.  He was an Afro Puerto Rican stage, television, and film actor.   He was born Juan G. Hernández in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to a Puerto Rican father and an Afro Brazilian mother. With no formal education, he worked as a sailor and settled in Rio […]

Albert A. Smith, Artist, and Musician born

*Albert Smith was born on this date in 1896.  He was a Black artist and musician.  Albert Alexander Smith was born in New York City, the son of parents who immigrated from Bermuda.  From an early age, his parents encouraged his artistic talents, paying for music lessons. Eventually, he became a banjo player and guitarist, […]

Paul Robeson, Athlete, Actor, Singer, and Activist born

On this date in 1898, Paul Robeson was born. He was a Black dramatic actor, singer, civil rights activist, political radical and one of the most gifted men of the 20th century.

Williams and Walker Debuts on Stage

*Williams and Walker’s stage show is celebrated on this date in 1898. The twosome, George Walker and Bert Williams, were two of the most renowned figures of the minstrel era. They debuted in New York at the Casino Theatre. Their act, “The Gold But,” consisted of songs and dance focused on Walker trying to convince […]

Heitor dos Prazeres, Composer, and Singer born

*On this date, in 1898, Heitor dos Prazeres was born.  He was an Afro Brazilian composer, singer, and painter. Heitor dos Prazeres was born in Rio de Janeiro to Eduardo Alexandre dos Prazeres, woodworker and clarinetist in the National Guard band, and the seamstress Celestina Gonçalves Martins, living in the Cidade Nova neighborhood. He was […]

The Stage Play ‘Cuba’ is Performed in Minneapolis

*On this date in 1898 a Black theatrical production of social consciousness was performed on a scale never before seen in Minnesota. It was titled “Cuba: a Drama of Freedom,” and took place at the Lyceum Theater in Minneapolis.