This post is one of a series honoring Black History Month. John W. Cooper (1873-1966) was the first African American ventriloquist to play the predominantly white vaudeville circuits. A brookly native, he attended Professor Dorsey's Institute, and worked as a stable boy at the racetracks in Sheepshead Bay. He began performing in minstrel shows in [...]
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:28AM on February 4, 2013