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Arts and Entertainment

Television

What was the early impact of television on black America?

The rise of television in the 1950s generally had an adverse effect on the American theater. Employment for all actors fell sharply, but especially for blacks. Television had limited access for blacks as segregation was still the law of the land. Actors such as Lena Horne and Sammy Davis Jr. were occasional guests on television, but overall images of blacks were often derogatory. Shows like The Beulah Show, Amos ’n Andy, and The Little Rascals, which were on the air between 1950 and 1953, offered no lasting opportunities for blacks.



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