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Lydia Velatini
Professor Everhart
Tap I
14 November 2021
Bill “Bojangle” Robinson
Born May 25th, 1878 Bill Robinson was one of the most prolific dancers to ever exist
and has left a legacy like no other. He was an advocate for civil rights and used his fame in the
arts to improve the lives of those in his community. Bill had a hard childhood, he was born in
post civil war Richmond Virginia and both of his parents passed away when he was a young boy.
Left to fend for himself, he had to find a way to survive so he began dancing for the wealthy
primarily in minstrel shows. Every time there was a minstrel show going on, there would be a
parade in the town in which the performers would come through and dance in the streets. This is
where Bill began to find his way into the arts and had his first moment of fame, little did he
know he would eventually become the best and most famous tap dancer in the world.
At 12 years old Bill left Virginia for Washington DC where he would take on a role
many others would not have because it was considered degrading so he could start to get his
name known. After the Spanish-American War he then traveled to New York City as it was
growing and becoming a mecca for the arts. During this time he would dance in clubs until he
was discovered by a successful black comedian named George Cooper who would eventually
take him on the road which gave them the chance to perform at some of the most prolific theaters
in Vaudeville. This was special due to the fact that there were very few famous black performers
in Vaudeville that had steady gigs as they were working in extremely discriminatory conditions.
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Bill made it his lifelong mission to overcome the unfair circumstances he was repeatedly
subjected to, and to help lead many efforts for civil rights in his communities and nation wide.
However as Bill continued to rise to fame, he also would fall victim to a hefty gambling
addiction that would time and time again leave him out of copious amounts of money. After 12
years of partnership with Cooper they split ways as Bill wanted to have a solo show to break the
harsh stereotypes of the theater. His manager Marty Forkins wanted to create a name for Bill,
and helped him to make history when he was able to do a solo show in 1916.
Through his career Bill would face extreme racism while travelling from town to town,
he was not allowed to stay at many hotels, ride on the same trains as others, or go into many
restaurants and bars. Despite this he would move on to meet his wife Fanny Clay, a well
educated black woman working in pharmaceuticals who would stay with him for over 20 years.
Bill's fame would again sky rocket through the Harlem Renaissance and this time period allowed
for many other black artists to rise to fame. At the age of 50 Bill would hit one of the peaks in his
career as his role in “Blackbirds of 1928” would allow him to become the highest paid black
performer in the world. Bill used the money that he earned for good and donated a very large
portion of it to families in need in his community and to charities that helped in his civil rights
efforts.
As one of the best known performers and celebrities in New York, his talent was noticed
by Hollywood. As Vaudeville was overtaken by film, Bill adapted and left for Hollywood where
he would once again reach a new peak in his fame and career. Fox studios partnered him with
Shirley Temple which caused both of them to become outstandingly famous, part because of
their talents and part the taboo of a black man taking care of a white girl. One of the cons to
working for Hollywood was the fact that they would not allow him to play any sophisticated
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roles and stripped him of his iconic top hat and tails, time and time again he played roles well
below him that were usually demeaning. In 1937 Bill came close to being on screen in a
sophisticated role in which he swapped his servant garbs with his top hat and tails, but for
seemingly no reason the footage of his character was cut and was kept from the public. Just a
few years later he and Shirley would part ways due to audiences changing taste in entertainment.
His next achievement was the successes found through his performances of “Hot Mikado” in
which every single one of his dances stopped the show because the audience was cheering so
intensely. At 61 he became an entertainment icon in NYC once again and was performing in
about five shows a day every day to keep up with the demand. During this same time he also was
an active participant in the war effort, and often performed to raise money that he would donate.
One of his final iconic shows “Stormy Weather” included an all black cast which
allowed Bill to finally play the role he had always wanted, here he could dress and act as the
sophisticated and talented performer he was. Bill Robinson transcended racial boundaries both in
his personal and professional life, and was well loved nationwide for the doors he opened for
black performers around the world. Bo and his wife Fanny would part ways, and soon after Bill's
health got in the way of his dancing and performing. His heart began to fail him and he was
warned by doctors that he needed to slow down but did not listen to their advice. Bill suffered a
heart attack on November 14th, 1949 and died just eleven days later. His funeral was the largest
in the history of New York City, over one and a half million people flooded the streets to honor
and commemorate Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. His life was truly remarkable and through his
career he remained genuine and dedicated to his cause, and because of this he will remain the
king of tap forever.