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Aida Overton Walker was an African-American singer, actress, dancer and Vaudeville performer.  Overton was born on February 18, 1880 in Richmond, Virginia.

At the age of 15, she joined a black touring group called the “Octoroons”, and it was there that she met her husband, George Walker, who was a Vaudeville comedian. She frequently appeared with him onstage and was billed as “The Queen of the Cakewalk”.  She also choreographed many vaudeville shows like “The Red Moon” and S. H. Dudley’s “His Honor the Barber”.  In 1912, she became famous for her well known dance performance as “Salome” at the Hammerstein’s Victoria Theatre.

In 1914, Overton died suddenly of kidney disease at the age of 34, in New York City. She continued to perform until two weeks before her death.

In the October 1905 issue of “The Colored American Magazine”, an article was written about her contribution to performing arts as an African-American woman, and spoke about her belief that the performing arts could affect race relations in a positive way.  She said, “I venture to think and dare to state that our profession does more toward the alleviation of color prejudice than any other profession among colored people.”

Aida Overton Walker was an African-American singer, actress, dancer and Vaudeville performer.  Overton was born on February 18, 1880 in Richmond, Virginia.

At the age of 15, she joined a black touring group called the “Octoroons”, and it was there that she met her husband, George Walker, who was a Vaudeville comedian. She frequently appeared with him onstage and was billed as “The Queen of the Cakewalk”.  She also choreographed many vaudeville shows like “The Red Moon” and S. H. Dudley’s “His Honor the Barber”.  In 1912, she became famous for her well known dance performance as “Salome” at the Hammerstein’s Victoria Theatre.

In 1914, Overton died suddenly of kidney disease at the age of 34, in New York City. She continued to perform until two weeks before her death.

In the October 1905 issue of “The Colored American Magazine”, an article was written about her contribution to performing arts as an African-American woman, and spoke about her belief that the performing arts could affect race relations in a positive way.  She said, “I venture to think and dare to state that our profession does more toward the alleviation of color prejudice than any other profession among colored people.”

It is Easter Sunday and these young boys are dressed in their Sunday best. The photograph was taken by Russell Lee in the South Side of Chicago in 1941.  A large percentage of African-Americans began to move north after the Civil War was over.  Many left the South hoping to find better opportunities in the North.  As a result, the number of African-Americans migrating to northern cities increased after 1900. In the city of Chicago alone, the black population increased from 44,000 around 1910, to approximately 234,000 by 1930.