Sylvester Russell (1860s – October 11, 1930) was a performer who became a newspaper columnist. He was the "first Black arts critic to gain national recognition in the U.S.," in his turn-of-the-century column in the ''

Indianapolis Freeman The ''Indianapolis Freeman'' (1884–1926) was the first illustrated black newspaper in the United States. Founder and owner Louis Howland, who was soon replaced by Edward Elder Cooper, published its first print edition on November 20, 1884. H ...

''. In a 30-year career that spanned three cities: his early days in Indianapolis, time at the

Chicago Defender ''The Chicago Defender'' is a Chicago-based online African-American newspaper. It was founded in 1905 by Robert S. Abbott and was once considered the "most important" newspaper of its kind. Abbott's newspaper reported and campaigned against Jim ...

and, finally,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

where he founded and published a newspaper called the Star, and famously developed a system of ranking Black performance qualitatively from "low comedy/minstrelsy" at the bottom to the "classics" at the top, which reflected his:

... clear desire to establish African American music as a field worthy of study, with a history and progressive development. His examination of Black music for a Black audience was a direct challenge to a world where white people in blackface had been allowed to define the musical and performance qualities of what it meant to be Black.

That kind of specificity begot nuanced discussions on the page about the transition from vaudeville to silent film, which led to him and fellow music critic

Nora Douglas Holt Nora Douglas Holt (November 8, 1883/4/5 – January 25, 1974) was an American critic, composer, singer and pianist who was the first African American to receive a master's degree in music in the United States. She composed more than 200 works ...

attaining the status of pioneers. Later in his career, Russell became known for a dispute with

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid black entertainer in the United States during the first half of the 20 ...

as efforts to establish an association to build a memorial home for "Race actors" in honor of

Florence Mills Florence Mills (born Florence Winfrey; January 25, 1896 – November 1, 1927), billed as the "Queen of Happiness", was an American cabaret singer, dancer, and comedian. Life and career Florence Mills (Florence Winfrey) was born a daughter of for ...

progressed. He challenged segregation laws by sitting at a table in an upscale restaurant.https://www.thirdpersonproject.org/sylvester-russell-would-not-move The Freeman

References

External links

African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division

The Black Film Critics Circle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Sylvester 20th-century American journalists 20th-century American writers 20th-century African-American writers African-American journalists Year of birth missing 1930 deaths American columnists American music critics American theater critics American film critics

See also

References

External links