Racism

The minstrel show Bryant's Minstrels opens for a season at the Olympic Theater, 23rd Street, New York City, USA, where they will continue for five years.

Bascom Lamar Lunsford, who will find lifelong success as a bluegrass and country music vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, is born in Mars Hill, North Carolina, USA. Lunsford was also known by the nickname Minstrel of the Appalachians.

It is reported, with anger, in the Sydney Christian Monitor that visiting gospel group The Fisk Jubilee Singers has been refused rooms in every leading hotel in Sydney, Australia, because of the colour of their skins.

Primrose And Dockstader's Big American Minstrels are playing at The Grand Opera House, New York City, USA.

Famed soprano Camille D'Arville, popular vocalist Belle Davis billed as "The Southern Song Queen With Her Pickaninnies" and others open for a week at The Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco, Californika, USA.

Famed soprano Camille D'Arville, popular vocalist Belle Davis billed as "The Southern Song Queen With Her Pickaninnies" and others play the third night of a week at The Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco, Californika, USA.

Uncle Tom's Cabin, a play with music, is presented at The Academy Of Music, Broadway, New York City, USA, during a run of 88 performances.

Vess L. Ossman and Len Spencer, a vocal and banjo duo, record The Little Old Log Cabin In The Lane, The Colored Major, Coon Coon Coon, That Minstrel Man Of Mine and Hot Times On The Levee for Victor Records in Camden, New Jersey, USA.

Josephine Gassman And Her Pickaninnies play at The Chutes And Zoo, San Francisco, California, USA. Also onthe bill are The Gillen Family, Madeline Franks, Powers And Freed, Carroll The Whistler and The Samayoas.

Vocalist Roger Harding records the monologues A Coon In Love, The Stage Struck Coon, I've Been Down In Old Kentucky, Mr Dingy, Don't Be So Stingy, and other tracks for Victor Records in Camden, New Jersey, USA.

The Trocadero Quartette present "Their black-face character creation - The Telephone Agent" during a week at Chase's Theatre, Washington DC, USA. Also on the bill are The Hungarian Gypsy Band, "comedy trick violinist" Chevriel and "The Dainty Singing And Dancing Comedienne" Kitty Fox Allen.

Williams And Walker are starring in their musical show Sons Of Ham at The California Theatre, San Francisco, California, USA. (A popular song and dance duo, Bert Williams and George Walker are often cited as the first African-American superstars.)

Williams And Walker are starring in their musical show Sons Of Ham at The California Theatre, San Francisco, California, USA. (A popular song and dance duo, Bert Williams and George Walker are often cited as the first African-American superstars.)

Blackface minstrel entertainer Lew Sully is appearing at The Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco, California, USA. Also on the bill is Mlle. Chester with her "$10,000 Statue Dog".

Blackface minstrel entertainer Lew Sully is appearing at The Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA. Also on the bill is Mlle. Chester with her "$10,000 Statue Dog".

Peter F. Dailey And Company, Stuart Barnes, The Two Little Pucks, Midgley And Carlisle, Lotta Gladstone, Dooley And Fowley (blackface comedians) and Little Elsie play at The Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco, California, USA.

'The Inimitable Colored Comedians' Williams And Walker are appearing in Sons Of Ham at The Great Northern Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Richards And Pringle's Famous Georgia Minstrels are playing at Sweeney And Coombs Opera House, Houston, Texas, USA.

"Real Coon Entertainers" are performing at The Bijou Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The troupe is advertised as being, "as clever as those in the Golden Gate Quintet at keith's this week".

McIntyre And Heath (blackface comedians), Nat M. Wills, Nick Long, Idalene Cotton, Rawson And June, The Melani Trio, Mignonette Kokin, Galetti's Monkey Comedians and Albert Kartelli are appearing at Chase's "polite vaudeville" theatre, Washington DC, USA.

Lew Dockstader's Minstrels are playing at The Victoria Theatre, Broadway, New York City, USA.

Lew Dockstader's Minstrels are playing at The Victoria Theatre, Broadway, New York City, USA.

A group of Black vaudevillian entertainers, including songwriters, bandleaders and performers, form what is thought to have been the first African-American organization for theatrical professionals - The Frogs Club - in Harlem, New York City, USA. Until this time, black entertainers were refused membership of the city's theatrical clubs.

The Primrose And Dockstader Minstrels play the first of five nights at The Belasco Theatre, Washington CD, USA.

David Bispham, The Honey Boy Minstrels (led by George 'Honey Boy' Evans) and Mack And Walker are playing at B.F.Keith's Theatre, Washington DC, USA.

The All Black musical show Chocolate Kiddies, featuring the dancers Rufus Greenlee and Thadeus Drayton, with music written by Duke Ellington and performed by The Band, aka The Chocolate Kiddies Orchestra, opens at The Admiralspalast, Berlin, Germany, Europe, where it will run for 65 performances.

In a brutal Nazi police operation in Germany, Europe, over 300 Swing Kids - young lovers of jazz and swing music - are arrested. Measures taken against them range from cutting their hair and sending them back to school under close monitoring, to the deportation of their leaders to concentration camps.

Les Hite And His Orchestra play at The Chatterbox, Mountainside, New Jersey, USA, during an extended engagement . Hite's band are the first black musicians to have played at this venue.

A feature in music trade magazine Billboard in the USA, reports that, despite many obstacles, negroes are making considerable advances in music, films and radio.

Preacher Rollo And The Five Saints record The Darktown Strutters' Ball for MGM Records in Miami, Florida, USA.

Paul Robeson sings and speaks at the founding convention of The National Negro Labor Council, in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

At an informal dinner at Al And Dick's in New York City, USA, Florence Greenberg, President Of Sceptre Records, maps out proposals for an organisation to be called "The Music Industry Sings Out On Human Rights". The organisation is being set up to raise funds to advance the cause of Civil Rights for all segments of the population. Fund-raising Sing Out live events are to be held over the coming months, underwritten by record companies.

The John Coltrane Quartet records Alabama at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA, for Impulse Records. The song is a eulogy for the victims of the bombing that took place in Birmingham, Alabama, two months prior.

The Bill Evans Trio comes to the end of twenty nights at The Cafe Au Go Go, Greenwich Village, New York City, USA, with Oscar Brown Jr.

Police officer Daniel Faulkner and journalist/cab driver Mumia Abu-Jamal are involved in an altercation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, during which both are shot. Faulkner dies at the scene, while Abu-Jamal is hospitalised, and later found guilty of murder. The verdict is widely disputed and will inspire the songs The Murder Of Daniel Faulkner by Hurtsmile, and Free Mumia by KRS-One.

It is reported that Stevie Wonder was recently arrested outside the South African Embassy in Washington DC, USA, during a an anti-apartheid demonstration. He was released after questioning by police.

After serving a three-month sentence for tax evasion, Lauryn Hill is released from prison in Connecticut, USA, and releases a new single, Consumerism, on the same day.

Marikana: The Musical premieres at The Graeme College Theatre during The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa. Based on the book We Are Going To Kill Each Other Today, the show tells the story of the police massacre of 34 striking mine workers at Marikana in 2012.

Responding to the British Government's recent policy statement on plans for the UK's future immigration, Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI and BRIT Awards, states, "We understand Government's desire to bring in new immigration rules that treat visitors from third countries equally and that control migration levels. However, we are confident Government also wishes to ensure that UK creative companies can work with the best talent, and that UK artists should not face unreasonable bureaucracy in touring or promoting their music in the EU. We will continue to engage with Government to try to ensure that formalities for short term touring or promotion are kept to a minimum."