Entertainment Video

The African Grove Theater was founded in lower Manhattan in 1821. Other black theaters were attempted, but the African Grove would become the most mainstream black theater in its time. William Henry Brown, a former ship steward, rented out a building on Bleeker Street and turned the second floor into a 300-seat theater. He had […]

Carmen DeLavallade was a remarkable figure of dance and choreography in African-American society. Her talent would become affiliated with names like Alvin Ailey, who, for one season, co-branded his company name with hers in his 1962 European and Asian tour. It was the DeLavallade-Ailey Dance Company Tour. DeLavallade found her gift through her cousin, Janet […]

Entertainment Video

Jamaican-born DJ Clive Campbell, a.k.a. DJ Kool Herc, is considered the father of hip-hop music. His technique of isolating the instrumental part of a record, emphasizing the drum beat (or “break”) while simultaneously switching from one break to another, became legendary. He used the two-turntable setup and played two of the same records at the […]