Photo: Etta Moten Barnett (b. Nov. 5, 1901 – d. Jan. 2, 2004)
in Gershwin's Porgy in addition to Bess
Etta Moten Barnett has been a tireless pioneer inwards her career every bit a musical performer, actress, in addition to community activist.
THE EARLY LIFE OF ETTA MOTEN BARNETT
Etta Moten Barnett was born inwards Weimer, Texas on Nov 5, 1901. The alone kid of Rev. Freeman F. Moten, an African Methodist Episcopal minister, and schoolhouse instructor Ida Moten, she remembers her childhood fondly every bit a fourth dimension of singing amongst the choir inwards her father's church. It was at Paul Quinn College inwards Texas that the lineament of her singing vocalisation was rootage rewarded amongst an educational scholarship.
Moten went on to attend Western University, an Historically Black University (HBU) in Kansas. Her professional person singing career took off i time she joined the Jackson Jubilee Singers and went on to sing amongst the renowned Eva Jessye Choir.
EARLY BLACK ACTRESSES
Moten was discovered every bit an actress past times a talent lookout for the 1931 Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers classic moving-picture exhibit Flying Down to Rio. She is best remembered, however, for her role every bit the incarnate heroine Bess inwards the master copy George Gershwin production of the pop musical Porgy in addition to Bess. Gershwin chose Eva Jessye every bit the choral managing director for the 1935 opera production of Porgy in addition to Bess.
Photo: 1935 Cast of Porgy in addition to Bess
(photographer Richard Tucker. Oct. 10, 1935.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress)
A pioneering Black musical performer, Etta Moten Barnett broke the cinema industry's colouring fabric barrier every bit the rootage Black performer to play in a film role that was non a domestic role, when she performed inwards The Gold Diggers inwards 1933.
As a Chicago resident, Moten was active inwards promoting the arts through the South Side Community Art Center in addition to DuSable Museum of African American History. Moten was appointed past times the U.S. federal regime every bit a cultural ambassador to 10 African countries. In shaped this role every bit an chance to led cultural telephone commutation missions betwixt African Americans in addition to Africans. Moten was an active fellow member of the National Council of Negro Women inwards Chicago.
Photo: The belatedly Etta Moten Barnett's domicile inwards Chicago
3619 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
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