Category : Performance

A Legacy of Blues and Resilience Ida Cox, one of the most distinguished classic blues singers of the 1920s, left an indelible mark on the...

Jelly Roll Morton, byname of Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe, (born Oct. 20, 1890, New Orleans, La., U.S.—died July 10, 1941, Los Angeles, Calif.), American jazz...

Fletcher Henderson, in full Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr., original name James Fletcher Henderson, byname Smack, (born Dec. 18, 1897, Cuthbert, Ga., U.S.—died Dec. 29, 1952,...

Amos ‘n’ Andy is a landmark in American entertainment history, known for its transition from a popular radio show to a television series. Created by...

Mahalia Jackson was an American gospel singer widely regarded as one of the greatest vocalists of the 20th century. Born on October 26, 1911, in...

Nina Simone, born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933, was an iconic American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her extraordinary talent and...

American singer Rosetta Tharpe is credited with popularizing gospel music among secular audiences during the 1930s and ’40s. Born in Arkansas in 1915, Sister Rosetta...

African American audiences were generally ignored by the major motion picture studios in the first two decades of the 20th Century. Nonetheless, demand for films...

Oscar Micheaux was the quintessential self-made man.  Novelist, film-maker, and relentless self-promoter, Micheaux was born on a farm near Murphysboro, Illinois.  He worked briefly as...

Hattie McDaniel was an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She was born on June 10, 1895, in Wichita, Kansas, and passed away on October 26,...