Title supplied by cataloger. Rolland Joseph 'Speedy' Curtis was born in Louisiana in 1922. After serving three years in the Marines during World War II, he and his wife, Gloria, relocated from New Orleans to Los Angeles in 1946. Curtis served four years with the Los Angeles Police Department, but resigned from the force in order to pursue both a Bachelor's and Master's degree from USC. He later became involved in city politics, as an associate of Sam Yorty, and later a field deputy to City Council members Billy Mills and Tom Bradley. He was briefly director of the Model Cities program in 1973. Rolland J. Curtis died in his home in 1979, the victim of a homicide. An affordable housing complex on Exposition Blvd. near Vermont Ave. was named in his honor in 1981, along with a nearby street and park.; Founded by Nick and Edna Stewart in 1950, the Ebony Showcase Theater was the first African American owned theater in Los Angeles. Nick Stewart, who was most famous for his portrayal of "Lightnin'" in the TV show Amos and Andy, and voicing Brer Rabbit in Disney's Song of the South, sought to build a place where African Americans could act in roles outside of the traditional stereotypes. The theater has been credited for starting the career of many young black actors, including Michelle Nichols, John Amos and Isabel Sanford. Located at 4718-26 W. Washington Blvd., the theater was demolished in 1998.; In the production depicted in this photograph, African American actors satirize the practice of blackface minstrel by wearing white makeup to impersonate white supremacists. Blackface minstrel is the practice of white people wearing black makeup, wooly wigs, and eccentric costumes in order to caricature and demean African Americans for entertainment. Dating back to the 1830s, actors in blackface would perform songs and dances supposedly learned from happy-go-lucky slaves on the plantation.; The battle flag is the most recognized Confederate flag—the most widely recognized of all flags of the Civil War apart from Old Glory—and has become the single most identifiable symbol of the Confederacy. It is often flown by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists, which has made it a controversial and divisive symbol that represents racial oppression to some and Southern heritage to others. Carolyn Booker (at left) and an actress who is possibly Mona Kelsh wearing white face minstrel performing in "Day of Absence" at the Ebony Showcase Theater located at 4720 W. Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles. "Day of Absence" was performed with "Happy Ending," both one-act satirical comedies, written by playwright Douglas Turner Ward, directed by Hal Dewindt, and produced by Nick and Edna Stewart. A Confederate flag is partially visible on stage in the background. Photograph 1967. See images 00053402; 00122434; 00123243 through 00123300 and 00139705 through 00139710 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
