It’s the late 1930’s and Herb Jeffries, a popular singer in several big bands, saddles up to become the first African American singing cowboy. Dubbed “The Bronze Buckaroo,” Jeffries starred in several low-budget Westerns, like Harlem Rides the Range, and Two Gun Man from Harlem. Every Saturday, children of all skin colors packed afternoon matinees, … Continue reading
It’s 1948 and the DuMont Television Network airs the first episode of its new program, The Laytons, starring jazz singer and actor Amanda Randolph. Little is known about this situation comedy, but Randolph made history in its mere ten episodes as the first African-American in a starring TV role. Despite The Laytons’s brief run, Randolph’s … Continue reading
Oscar Brown, Jr. was not a man easily defined. Labels like songwriter, composer, actor, singer, director, producer, playwright all fit, but not quite. He was also an activist, a visionary, and a social commentator. A vocalist whose technique was steeped in jazzy agility and swing, his performances were consistently witty, shrewd, musical and humane, and … Continue reading
1956, and Abbey Lincoln stood poised to become jazz music’s next glamour star. She had just appeared in the film, The Girl Can’t Help It, wearing Marilyn Monroe’s flaming red dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her stage presence was honed to accentuate her looks and figure, rather than her voice. None of this sat well … Continue reading
They crowned Jack Johnson the first Black heavyweight champion in 1908, but the fight had just begun. The Black community was overjoyed, seeing Johnson’s title as a major step toward equality. Whites i n America, however, were often near panic. Even the New York Times wrote that “thousands of his ignorant brothers will misinterpret [Johnson’s] … Continue reading