Aida Overton Walker

Today's #FierceFemaleFriday is Aida Overton Walker The "Queen of the Cakewalk" didn't let anyone tell her what her place was in in the entertainment world. Instead, she created it for herself, refusing to play stereotypical mammy roles often delegated to Black actors. Born on Valentine's Day, 1880, in NYC, she was the first African American woman on Broadway in the all Black written and cast play, In Dahomey in 1903. This musical went on to tour Europe for 2 years. She began her career in Black Patti's Troubadours and Isham's Octoroons. Often performing in front of white audiences, this Victorian era Vixen of Vaudeville sang, danced and choreographed, most notably with her husband, George Walker. Together they helped break barriers in Black Vaudeville by showcasing all African American cast ragtime performances. Graceful in her dancing, but with a low pitched vocal, she harmed acclaim for roles in Son of Ham, The Policy Players, Red Moon and Bandanna Land. International fame welcomed her after a spectacular feature at Buckingham Palace in 1903. She became so well known for her Cakewalk Dance ( an exaggerated dance rooted in slavery), that British society women would invite her to their homes for private lessons. Her famous Salome dance at NYC's Hammerstein's Victoria Theatre was one of her final major performances. She sadly passed of kidney failure at only 34 years of age. Clearly an inspiration to legends like Josephine Baker and Katherine Dunham, Aida Overton Walker is a Fierce Female everyone should learn about. " I venture to think and dare to state that our profession does more toward the alleviation of color prejudice than any other profession among colored people." - AOW

-Brittany Brown Turcotte, Honorary Member

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Resources Racing Nellibly AA Registry

Library of Congress

#fiercefemalefriday #BLAQN #blackartists #blackhistorymonth #blackwomen #blackwomxn #blackvaudeville