Introduction

Representation Matters

      When television was first introduced to Americans in 1927, its popularity increased drastically in a short matter of time. To this day, television is an important staple of American culture. It is a vessel of spreading entertainment and information simultaneously. This blog explores the influential people and programs involved in early television history that shaped a more inclusive future for Americans of all colors and cultures. 

Ethel Waters

Ethel Waters

      Ethel Waters was the first African American to star in her own television show. The show was Beulah and it aired in 1950. She also won an Emmy for her performance in "Goodnight, Sweet Blues," an episode of the TV show Route 66.

      Her voice stood out among her peers as she had a more reserved way of singing than the open vocals of other African American women at the time.

      Waters is best known for her performances on Broadway and singing songs such as "Stormy Weather" and "St. Louis Blues." She produced two autobiographies, His Eye Is On The Sparrow and To Me It's Wonderful.

     Ethel Waters lived a tough childhood. Her mother was only 12 when she had Ethel as a result of rape. Ethel was sent to be raised by relatives that were physically abusive. Sometimes she was forced to steal food so she wouldn't go hungry. She was also arranged into an abusive marriage that only lasted a year. 

     For someone with such a dreary childhood, her success is inspirational. Not only was she held back by society as a black woman in the 1900s-1970s, she was held back by family and circumstance. Her success can only be attributed to herself and her perseverance. Ethel Waters is truly an amazing individual.

White, Claytee D. "Ethel Waters (1896-1977)", Black Past, Feb 11, 2007, 

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/waters-ethel-1896-1977/

Extravagant Crowd. "Ethel Waters", Extravagant Crowd, no date given, 

http://brbl-archive.library.yale.edu/exhibitions/cvvpw/gallery/waters1.html

No author given. "Ethel Waters", Broadway, no date given, 

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/ethel-waters/

Amanda Randolph

Amanda Randolph

     Amanda Randolph was one of the first African American performers who consistently appeared on television. She played a reoccurring role in the show The Laytons and is one of the only cast members remembered from that show. She is also one of the only original radio cast of the show Amos n' Andy to be cast in the television show as well. The Amos n' Andy television show was the first TV series to feature an all black cast. 

     Randolph appeared in three Oscar Micheaux films, Swing (1938), Lying Lips (1939) and The Notorious Elinor Lee (1940). These films were important because they were created to accurately portray the lives of African Americans, something that Hollywood was not prioritizing. 

     Despite the limitations of the roles available to her, Amanda Randolph brought life to her parts and dignified many. She often played a tough-talking maid or housekeeper but she took them and made them her own. In the Amos n' Andy show, she was the mother-in-law of one of the characters  all the way until the show's cancellation. Being an African American woman in steady, reoccurring roles on TV was a difficult job to get, but she managed and helped pave the way to modern day television where people of all kinds can be cast into steady roles. 

No author given. "The Literary Club", That's Entertainment!, Oct 17, 2018,

https://jacksonupperco.com/tag/the-laytons/

IMDb. "Amanda Randolph", IMDb, no date given, 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0709869/?ref_=

Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole

     Nat King Cole was the first African American to host his own variety show. He had many famous guests like Count Basie, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett. His show, The Nat King Cole Show, did not lasted only from 1956 to 1957. The short lifespan of the show can most likely be attributed to the lack of support from companies. Being a show hosted by an African American put it at a disadvantage since racist people did not want to sponsor a program hosted by a black man. 

     Despite facing racism personally, Nat King Cole did not want to take a solid stance on most racial issues of his day. He avoided the activism and wanted to focus more on entertaining. 

     Even though his own show did not last more than a year, Nat King Cole showed up on other popular shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Gary Moore Show. He also is known for singing many hits and his rendition of "The Christmas Song" is still a popular holiday classic. After he passed away from lung cancer, his daughter recorded a duet part to his song "Unforgettable" and combined their vocals.

Biography.com Editors. "Nat King Cole Biography", Biography.com, April 18, 2019,

https://www.biography.com/musician/nat-king-cole

Louis Emanuel Lomax

Louis Emanuel Lomax

     This man was one of the first African American television journalists, and one of the few television journalists to outwardly support the black power movement. On his show, The Louis E. Lomax Show, he interviewed guests on controversial topics like the war in Vietnam and the Black Panthers. 

     Likely due to his controversial stances, Lomax was investigated by the FBI for "un-American activities." He may have supported what was considered the more "radical" side in the fight for African American rights, but he held his belief that the problems with race in America were caused by the lack of communication and understanding of either side. If people better understood each other, there would be less problems. He strongly believed in equal rights and was optimistic for the future.

     Louis E. Lomax gained his publicity after he interviewed Malcolm X for a documentary about the Nation of Islam titled "The Hate That Hate Produced." He was chosen for the job since Malcolm X refused to be interviewed by any of the white reporters.

     He authored a number of books and was writing a three-volume history of black Americans when died before its completion. 

Griffith, S. (2017, December 28) Louis Emanuel Lomax (1922-1970). 

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/lomax-louis-emanuel-1922-1970/ 

The First Interracial Kiss on American Television

Star Trek

"Plato's Stepchildren"

     The popular sci-fi show Star Trek was futuristic in more ways than just the obvious space travel and technology. Over 50 years ago in 1968, Star Trek was making bold moves that had not been seen before on American television. Aside from a chaste and simple cheek-kiss in the show Movin' in with Nancy, Americans had not yet seen a kiss on TV between a white person and a black person. The Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren" featured the first actual kiss between an interracial couple. This was very taboo in 1968 when it aired, and the network watched very closely during filming out of concern of the reaction of the audience.

     The plot of the episode is that aliens capture the main characters and use powers of telekinesis to force the crew to sing, dance, and kiss for their enjoyment. The two characters in the history-making scene are Captain Kirk (played by William Shatner) and Lieutenant Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols). Though the kiss is not one of love or passion, it still had a strong impact on audiences and was the first stepping stone into the future (pun intended) of interracial romance in television shows. 

     Below is the scene itself. By today's standards, this scene is more awkward to watch than it is scandalous. But, the time it was filmed, the higher-ups were so afraid of the backlash they might receive that the kiss was almost cut from the script. Shatner and Nichols went through with it regardless, and now we can have all sorts of relationships shown on television. 

TV's First Interracial Kiss

     It is funny to think of the people from 1968 who would have found this scandalous traveling forward in time to see television from today. They might just feint from shock if they were to see the future has interracial and gay relationships widely accepted on TV. It is thanks to writers, directors, and actors that pushed the boundaries of what was deemed acceptable that we can have the shows we have today. 

Delmont, Matthew. "50 Years Ago". Smithsonian.com, Sept 5, 2018, 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/fifty-years-ago-star-trek-aired-tvs-first-interracial-kiss-180970204/

Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols

     As I talked about in another blog entry, Star Trek  was a show that challenged the limitations of it's time in more ways than one. Aside from it's famous interracial kiss scene, Star Trek also broke the stereotype of black women playing almost exclusively subservient roles with the casting of fan-favorite Lieutenant Uhura, a translator and communications officer from the United States of Africa. 

    Nichelle Nichols was celebrated as "the first Negro astronaut, a triumph of modern-day TV over modern-day NASA" according to the January 1967 issue of Ebony magazine. She wanted to leave the show after one season since she wished to return to New York where she got her start singing, but her mind was made up after an interaction with none other than Martin Luther King Jr. He told her how important her role was to him and his family, and by extension, African Americans as a whole. He told her, “you must not leave. You have opened a door that must not be allowed to close…you changed the face of television forever…For the first time, the world sees us as we should be seen, as equals, as intelligent people.”

     Nichols went on after Star Trek to take part in activism and encourage the inclusion of black women in intellectual pursuits. She inspired countless individuals and played a major role in the uprising of more equality in representation in scientific fields. She supported minorities in leadership positions. What started as a role in a science fiction television show turned into a role in a more equal and respectful world. Nichelle Nichols and Lieutenant Uhura are a perfect example of how important representation in media is. 

Delmont, Matthew. "50 Years Ago". Smithsonian.com, Sept 5, 2018, 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/fifty-years-ago-star-trek-aired-tvs-first-interracial-kiss-180970204/

Channing Dungey

Channing Dungey

     Not all history was made before my lifetime. For example, I can remember when the first black President of the United States of America was elected. Another example of recent history is Channing Dungey, the first African American President of a major television network. Dungey became the President of ABC in 2016, merely 3 years ago. Still, she made a big impact on the company as well as television itself. 

     Channing Dungey made her voice, as well as the countless voices of Americans that face racism themselves, heard when she made the decision to cancel her network's biggest hit "Roseanne". The star of the show, Roseanne Barr, had made a racist tweet that Dungey claimed did not reflect the values of the network. Barr was fired and without the lead actress, "Roseanne" was cancelled. 

     This was a big win for African Americans who have had to put up with the bullying and harassment of racist coworkers and even bosses under the excuses that people have the right to free speech. Hate speech is not free speech, and Dungey saw that and acted accordingly. Following this incident, there has been an increase in famous people being held accountable for what they say and do. Not even the stars of shows are above consequences for their racism. 

     Now, Dungey is moving from ABC to another network, where I hope she will continue to stay true to her values and support tolerance and denounce intolerance. 

Koblin, John. "Channing Dungey, First Black Entertainment Executive 

at a Major Network, Is Leaving ABC", The New York Times, Nov 16, 2018, 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/16/business/media/channing-dungey-abc.html