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March 13, 2026
Act Black: Posters of Black Americans on Stage and Screen
A new exhibition at New York’s Poster House celebrates the work of Black performers on the stage and screen from the 1880s to the 1940s
TL;DR
- Black performers and invested individuals worked from the 1880s to counter dehumanizing stereotypes.
- Josephine Baker's presence in films offered a multifaceted view of Black womanhood internationally.
- Early 20th-century shows featured 'all colored revues' with actual Black performers.
- Richard Norman's 'The Green Eyed Monster' was an early film aiming for respectful Black representation.
- Playwrights and composers enriched stage representations of Black humanity.
- Anita Bush founded the Anita Bush Stock Company (Lafayette Players) after working with Bert Williams and George Walker.
- Many movies with all-Black casts are now 'lost films', with posters often being the only remaining evidence.
- Nina Mae McKinney was the first Black actress in an all-Black cast to hold a principal role at a major studio.
- Adaptations of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' often dismissed anti-slavery messages, contributing to the pejorative term 'Uncle Tom'.
- 'Take My Life' featured the Harlem Tuff Kids and opened at the Apollo theater, significant during a time of army segregation.
- Harlem was often used generically in advertising to signify 'Black' and move away from Southern stereotypes.
- Some posters, like those for 'Imitation of Life', gave prominence to Black actresses for screenings in Black theaters.
- 'Chicago After Dark' positioned Chicago as a new location for Black stories.
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