Sylvester Russell facts for kids

Sylvester Russell (born in the 1860s, died 1930) was a talented writer and critic. He used to be a performer himself. Many people consider him the first Black arts critic to become famous across the United States. He gained recognition for his articles in the Indianapolis Freeman newspaper around the year 1900.

Russell worked for about 30 years in three different cities. He started his career in Indianapolis. Later, he worked at The Chicago Defender newspaper. Finally, he moved to New York City, where he started his own newspaper called the Star.

He became well-known for creating a special way to rate Black performances. He placed "low comedy" (like minstrel shows) at the bottom. At the top, he put "classics," which were more serious and respected art forms.

Russell wanted to show that African American music was important. He believed it deserved to be studied, just like other types of music. He felt it had its own history and had grown over time. By writing about Black music for Black readers, he was standing up against a time when white performers in "blackface" (a harmful type of makeup) were wrongly trying to define what Black music and performance were.

His detailed writings helped people understand the shift from vaudeville shows to silent films. Because of his work, he and fellow music critic Nora Douglas Holt became known as pioneers in their field. Later in his career, Russell had a disagreement with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. This happened while people were trying to create a special home for "Race actors" to honor Florence Mills.

Russell also took action in politics. He challenged unfair segregation laws. He did this by sitting at a table in a fancy restaurant, which was not allowed for Black people at that time.

See also

• Tony Langston
• D. Ireland Thomas
• Lester Walton