The Rise of Bert Williams in Showbiz

Feb. 29, 2024 – 01:38 – Our Keeping Black History Alive series continues with honoring Bert Williams, the first Black actor to land a role on Broadway. Bert Williams was born in the Bahamas. At a young age, he emigrated with his parents to the United States. By his late teens, he made his way to California and joined different West Coast minstrel shows. He would later create a successful vaudeville act in 1893 with George Walker. By 1903 he was starring in Dahomey, the first all-Black musical comedy to play in a Broadway theatre. In 1910 Williams landed a role as one of the headliners in Ziegfeld Follies, making him the first Black man to perform on Broadway as an equal to his white costars Almost fifty years later Dihanne Carrol would be the first African American actress to win a Tony Award. #KeepingBlackHistoryAlive