African American Males in Dance, Music, Theater, and Film

The history of African American males in the entertainment industry begins with the African background and extends through the transatlantic slave trade and to the various aspects of the black presence in the Americas. African American males have contributed enormously to the American cultural wealth in dance, music, theater, and film. Minstrelsy, the cakewalk, the Charleston, the lindy hop, the twist, the break dance, rap, jazz, blues, spirituals, soul-these and many others have enriched the American cultural experience at various stages of American history. African American male performers, directors, producers, musicians, playwrights, dancers, choreographers, and filmmakers, working individually or as a group, have made an indelible mark both on the American stage and in the American collective memory. These entertainers, especially those who began their profession at a time of social inequality, prejudice, and the ever present threat of physical violence, laid the foundation for African Americans of a later age to realize their potential and be called stars of Hollywood and Broadway. Their accomplishments have made it possible to look positively toward the future.