Delilah Jackson ( circa 1929 - January 12, 2013) was a cultural historian who specialized in collecting the history of black entertainers in Harlem.
Jackson grew up close to the Apollo Theater in Harlem. [1] She attended school at P.S. 157. [2]
Jackson began to collect the cultural history of Harlem and black entertainers in 1975. [1] She began her collection with recording oral histories of various women who had worked as chorus girls at the Cotton Club. [1] Later, that same year, she created the Black Patti Project which brought programming to former entertainers who were now living in nursing homes. [1] The project went on to work toward collecting oral histories from black artists. [3] Not only was Jackson known for preserving history, she often befriended the artists she met and visited them in nursing homes as they grew older. [4] Her collection of history helped create a historical context for the artists and their work, according to the New York Amsterdam News. [5] Over time, she amassed more 1,000 pieces of media that documented the work of black entertainers in Harlem. [6]
Jackson curated a show at the Smithsonian in 1997 called "Paris, the Jazz Age." [6] Jackson also lectured about entertainers from Harlem at Columbia University, the New School, the Schomburg Center and at the Smithsonian. [7]
She was awarded the 2001 Flo-Bert Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York Committee to Celebrate Tap Dance Day. [6] In 2005, Jackson received the Tap Preservation Award from the American Tap Dance Foundation. [6]
Jackson died in her home on January 12, 2013. [7]
Delilah Jackson ( circa 1929 - January 12, 2013) was a cultural historian who specialized in collecting the history of black entertainers in Harlem.
Jackson grew up close to the Apollo Theater in Harlem. [1] She attended school at P.S. 157. [2]
Jackson began to collect the cultural history of Harlem and black entertainers in 1975. [1] She began her collection with recording oral histories of various women who had worked as chorus girls at the Cotton Club. [1] Later, that same year, she created the Black Patti Project which brought programming to former entertainers who were now living in nursing homes. [1] The project went on to work toward collecting oral histories from black artists. [3] Not only was Jackson known for preserving history, she often befriended the artists she met and visited them in nursing homes as they grew older. [4] Her collection of history helped create a historical context for the artists and their work, according to the New York Amsterdam News. [5] Over time, she amassed more 1,000 pieces of media that documented the work of black entertainers in Harlem. [6]
Jackson curated a show at the Smithsonian in 1997 called "Paris, the Jazz Age." [6] Jackson also lectured about entertainers from Harlem at Columbia University, the New School, the Schomburg Center and at the Smithsonian. [7]
She was awarded the 2001 Flo-Bert Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York Committee to Celebrate Tap Dance Day. [6] In 2005, Jackson received the Tap Preservation Award from the American Tap Dance Foundation. [6]
Jackson died in her home on January 12, 2013. [7]