Category: Vaudeville

The Mammy Archetype‏: A Black Maiden Syndrome

Media Depictions of the Mammy Archetype by Dale Ricardo Shields‏  “Women of Color were often kept from the polls through a variety of tactics. They faced racial and ethnic discrimination and were often discouraged from voting …  These women not only faced discrimination and violence on the basis of their race, but they faced discrimination …

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Leigh Whipper

                                           LEIGH WHIPPER   by  Dale Ricardo Shields   Leigh Rollin Whipper  A massive figure in early American performing arts, breaking racial barriers long before the Civil Rights Movement.  The 1st Black member of Actors …

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The Whitman Sisters “Black Vaudeville Royalty”

The Whitman Sisters     “The Whitman Sisters were the highest-paid act on the Negro Vaudeville Circuit, Theater Owner Booking Association (Toby), and one of the longest surviving touring companies (1899-1942).  From 1900 to 1943, they managed and starred in their own touring company, which served as a major incubator for future stars like Count …

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