Dance Marathons
In the early twentieth century, dance marathons were an entire industry—and a surprisingly hazardous business.
The Many Afterlives of Rose Levere
Thespian, lawyer, Freemason, spiritualist, and much more, Levere tackled one frontier after another, determined to show the public just what she could do.
Julia C. Collins & the Black Elite of the Gilded Age
HBO's The Gilded Age has done its homework on Black History, creating a character based upon real life wealthy Black women of the time.
Sammy Davis Jr.’s Conversion Mishegoss
Sammy Davis Jr.'s conversion to Judaism in 1960 was met with skepticism, derision, and, yes, jokes by the members of the groups he claimed and embraced.
The 1918 Flu Pandemic’s Impact on Movie Theaters
With WWI coming to end, 1918 should have been a good year for the movies. Then along came influenza.
The Native American Music Awards
Native American musicians and performers have been honored since 1998 by the Nammys.
The Year The Grammys Honored Disco
In 1980, The Grammys gave disco its own category, but the genre was already receding into invisibility.
Creating the Musical Canon
When you look at the canon of popular music, who's on the list looks very much like those who made the list.