

Alexander Miles, a Black inventor created the automatic elevator door system, making skyscrapers safe and practical. Continue reading


Alexander Miles, a Black inventor created the automatic elevator door system, making skyscrapers safe and practical. Continue reading


All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm featuring Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers is from the movie A Day at the Races (1937). The singer in the segment is Ivie Anderson from Duke Ellington’s Orchestra. The list of dancers is including Troy Brown, Dorothy Miller, Johnny Smalls, Norma Miller, Leon James, Snooky Beasley, Willa Mae Ricker, Ella Gibson, and George Greenidge. (Apparently, the dancer listed as John Bunch is in fact, Troy Brown). Whitey himself can be seen on the sidelines. He is identifiable by the streak of white in his hair. Continue reading


This compelling documentary follows pop icon Michael Jackson during the days leading up to his untimely death as he prepares for a series of 50 shows. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge



Richard Pryor shows up with energy and comic timing as Mojo The Medicine Man, who attracts his cult with the divine words “Let Mojo heal it!” Continue reading

The Caravans (Inez Andrews, Dorthy Norwood, Shirley Caesar, Albertina Walker, Delores Washington) singing at the 2007 BET Gospel Celebration. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge


The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project (CBDLP) 2025 presentation, Unbound: Shattered Frames, Endless Visions will grace the stage of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance this Saturday, August 23, 6pm. This unprecedented dance/theatre event showcases ten of Chicago’s most dynamic and diverse dance companies. The event is more than a dance concert. The production is a collective of Chicago-based artists celebrating the continued historic contributions of the Black dance community on the city’s cultural landscape. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge

Out and About NYC Magazine (O&A NYC) will embed with the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project (CBDLP) for the Unbound: Shattered Frames, Endless Visions performance on Saturday, August 23, 6pm at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. The magazine has begun to document the artists from the ten dance companies performing in this unprecedented evening of Black dance excellence. The event is being documented with written commentary, video interviews and a review of the performance. The historic and cultural importance of this “consortium of the creative” needs to be brought to the attention of the theater going public. Not just in the great city of Chicago but to our international audience. Continue reading
By Walter Rutledge

The Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project (CBDLP) will present Unbound: Shattered Frames, Endless Visions on Saturday August 23, 6pm at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E. Randolph Street). Co- Directors Kevin Iega Jeff and Mashaune Hardy in coordination with co-curators Gary Abbott and Jeff have assembled a cast of ten of Chicago’s most exciting and progressive dance companies. This production will put meaning/message to movement for a transformative evening celebrating the city’s Black dance excellence. It will also emphasize the historic impact of Black dance on the cultural identity of the city of Chicago. Continue reading