The Liberty's Role in the Chitlin Circuit
What is the Chitlin Circuit?
Beginning in the 1920s, the “Chitlin Circuit” was the ever rotating and ever-growing collection of clubs and performance venues throughout the Eastern and upper Midwest areas of the United States by, for, and about Black people. The venues ranged from ornate, palace-like theaters to tiny juke joints.
The name “chitlin” is short for “chitterlings”, a southern dish traditionally associated with African American culture and soul food. It has its roots in the history of slavery, as enslaved people used pig intestines, otherwise discarded, to create a nourishing meal. Today, chitlins are seen a symbol of resilience and survival.
Some of the most famous Chitlin Circuit venues include:
- Apollo Theater in NYC’s Harlem District
- Uptown Theater in Philadelphia, PA
- Howard and Lincoln Theaters in Washington, D.C.
- Regal Theater in Chicago
- Royal Peacock (originally The Top Hat) in Atlanta
Some famous performers include:
- Billie Holiday
- Al Green
- James Browjn
- Fats Domino
- Gladys Knight and the Pips
- Aretha Franklin
- Ike and Tina Turner
- Otis Redding
- Jimi Hendrix
- Bobby Rush (“King of the Chitlin Circuit”)
- Redd Foxx
- Flip Wilson
- Moms Mabley
- Richard Pryor
- Dolemite (Rudy Ray Moore)
- Mo’Nique
- Bernie Mac
Chitlin' Circuit Timeline
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a genre of variety entertainment called vaudeville became extremely popular, but African Americans were excluded from attending many vaudeville venues. For this reason, black vaudevillian Sherman Dudley created a touring company in 1911, bought several venues, and formed a union for Black entertainers.
Likewise, the Theatre Owners Booking Association (TOBA) was formed a few years later, in the early 1920s. The board was interracial, and the work provided a steady means of employment for its entertainers, though some found working TOBA’s circuit of venues grueling and demeaning. Many entertainers referred to TOBA as “Tough on Black Artists.”
Because of TOBA’s domination in regions of the circuit, Sherman Dudley was forced to merge his circuit into TOBA’s, however, the Great Depression and financial mismanagement by the organization’s primary owners saw TOBA collapse in the early 1930s.
After TOBA’s collapse, Black Indianapolis entrepreneurs and brothers Sea and Denver D. Ferguson used their connections to bring top Black entertainers to Indianapolis. After having their businesses’ licenses revoked in 1940, they opened Ferguson Brothers, a booking agency which grew quickly and became the most powerful Black-owned entertainment agency in the country.
The Ferguson brothers were instrumental in establishing the Chitlin’ Circuit. Some, like musician Sax Kari, even say that Denver Ferguson “invented the Chitlin’ Circuit”. The agency’s tours brought Black orchestras, comedians, and blues musicians (like Duke Ellington and J.J. Johnson) to the South and formed a network of clubs and theaters that helped compose the Chitlin Circuit in the mid-20th century.
Unfortunately, many Chitlin’ Circuit venues closed as segregation laws changed in the 1960s. Today, there are many venues in all parts of the county in the contemporary circuit. Many venues have been restored to their former glory and/or designated historic landmarks.
Liberty Theatre in the Chitlin Circuit
When the Liberty Theatre opened in 1924, it was the first black theater in Columbus. It also happened to be, at the time of construction, the largest.
Until the 70s, the Liberty Theatre was the primary entertainment venue for the African American community in Columbus, showcasing films, live music, and theater in a segregated South. During the theater’s first few years, local musicians even accompanied silent films.
Before retiring in 1935, Ma Rainey, a Columbus native and celebrated “Mother of the Blues,” performed at the Liberty on multiple occasions. Bessie Smith, another great blues singer, sang with her at least once. Baseball star Jackie Robinson even gave an inspirational speech at the Liberty to challenge young black Americans to succeed at their chosen fields. Other notable celebrities include Marian Anderson, the Whitman Sisters, and the Marching Club of the Elks, which “sponsored most of the big bands of the times, including Duke Ellington, Cab Galloway, Ella Fitzgerald singing with the Chick Webb Band, and others. It is not known if they performed at the Liberty, but they were part of the black cultural activities represented by the Liberty” (Thomas, 5).
Before desegregation, the Liberty Theatre was the only local place black people had for entertainment and cultural activity outside of church, school and fraternal facilities. It was described as a multipurpose facility, hosting dramatic readings, poetry readings, many revues, minstrel shows, vaudeville acts and other live performances. However, after World War II, it functioned mainly as a movie house.
The ending of Jim Crow laws in 1968 brought about significant societal changes that resulted in the eventual shutting down of the theater in 1974.