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 Noble Sissle, NAG's first president, pictured in 1951. | |
| Nickname | Negro Actors Guild (NAG) |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1936 |
| Founder | Fredi Washington, W. C. Handy, Paul Robeson, and Ethel Waters |
| Dissolved | 1982 |
| Type | Welfare and benevolent organization for black performers |
| Legal status | New York state certificate of incorporation |
| Purpose | to give financial aid to entertainers; to eliminate stereotyping, help foster skills, provide support and generate more opportunities for the African American community |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Products | The Negro Actor, a quarterly journal, published from 1938-1940 |
| Services | healthcare, transportation and hotel accommodations, and financing of funeral services for members |
Membership | 700+ |
President | Noble Sissle |
Key people | Fredi Washington, Executive Director and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Honorary President |
Main organ | Executive Board, overseeing six committees: finance, administrative, membership, entertainment, sick and welfare |
Negro Actors Guild of America (NAG) was formed in 1936 and began operation in 1937 to create better opportunities for black actors during a period in America where the country was at a crossroads regarding how its citizens of color would be depicted in film, television and the stage.
Formed in New York City, during the Great Depression and the height of the Harlem Renaissance, the NAG sought to give financial aid to Black performers.[1] The NAG also stressed in its formal articles within the Certificate of Incorporation the need for more realistic roles for people of color, helped foster the skills of African American actors, and worked to generate more acting opportunities for the black community in the industry.[1]
The founding members of NAG were Fredi Washington, W. C. Handy, Paul Robeson, and Ethel Waters. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was named honorary president.[2][3] Noble Sissle was the first elected president, 1937–1957; followed by Leigh Whipper, 1957–1960; Frederick O'Neal, 1960–1964; Charles "Honi" Coles, 1964-ca. 1980; and James Randolph, 1980–1981.[4]
- ^ a b "Negro Actors Guild of America - Social Networks and Archival Context". snaccooperative.org. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- ^ Bracks, Lean'tin L.; Smith, Jessie Carney (2014). Black Women of the Harlem Renaissance Era. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-8108-8543-1.
- ^ Eschner, Kat. "Three Ways Bill "Bojangles" Robinson Changed Dance Forever". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
- ^ Negro Actors Guild of America – records. The New York Public Library.