Discover the remarkable first generation of African American artists and performers whose contributions helped shape popular culture. Active after the Civil War and before World War I, many of these artists were the first in their families to be born out of bondage or to attend college-overcoming tremendous hardship in defiance of Jim Crow laws. 

Using newly discovered documents from the era, this talk reveals the talent, ingenuity, conflicts, and solidarity of the "Vanguard Generation." 

Daniel E. Atkinson earned his PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington, where his research focused on Afro-American vernacular expression. He is the author of The Rediscovery of George Nash Walker: The Price of Black Stardom in Jim Crow America, a biography of the co-founder of the Williams and Walker, the first Black theatre company to succeed on Broadway. He currently works as a maintenance laborer for Tacoma Parks. 

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

This presentation is part of Humanities Washington's Speakers Bureau program, in which cultural experts discuss history, politics, music, philosophy, and everything in between at venues around the state.

Humanities Washington opens minds and bridges divides by creating spaces to explore different perspectives. It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.