Claytee D. White, Author at BlackPast • Page 2 of 2

Claytee D. White

Academic Historian

Claytee D. White is currently the Director of the Oral History Research Center, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is also currently completing her Ph.D. at the College of William and Mary in African American history. White is the author of “African American Women Migrants: A Las Vegas Odyssey,” which appeared in the Publication of the Nevada Women’s History Project and “Eight Dollars a Day and Working in the Shade: An Oral History of African American Migrant Women in the Las Vegas Gaming Industry,” in Quintard Taylor and Shirley Moore, eds., African American Women Confront the West, 1600-2000 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2003).

Horace Mann Bond (1904–1972)

Image Ownership: Public Domain Horace Mann Bond served as the first president of Fort Valley State College from 1939 to 1945 and president of Lincoln University from 1945 to 1957. He was a notable educator and scholar holding degrees from Lincoln University (B.A. in 1923 … Read MoreHorace Mann Bond (1904–1972)

Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1964)

Dorothy Dandridge, born on November 9, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio, was a superb actress, singer and dancer who became a national and international star, and the first African American female actor nominated for both an Academy Award for Best Actress (Carmen Jones) and later a … Read MoreDorothy Dandridge (1922-1964)

Ethel Waters (1896-1977)

Image Ownership: Public Domain In 1950, Ethel Waters was the first black American performer to star in her own regular television show, Beulah, but it was the 1961 role in the “Good Night, Sweet Blues” episode of the television series Route 66 that earned her … Read MoreEthel Waters (1896-1977)

Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005)

Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm, an advocate for the rights of people of color and for women’s rights, became in November 1968 the first black woman elected to the United States Congress. Four years later she became the first black person to seek a major party’s … Read MoreShirley Chisholm (1924-2005)

W.H.C. Stephenson (1825-circa 1873)

Dr. W.H.C. Stephenson, the first black doctor in Nevada, practiced medicine in Virginia City, Nevada, during the heyday of the Comstock Lode. Born in Washington, D.C., he lived in Pennsylvania and California prior to Nevada. He was trained at one of the Eclectic Medical Institutes … Read MoreW.H.C. Stephenson (1825-circa 1873)

Sarann Knight Preddy (1920- )

Image ownership: Public Domain Sarann Knight migrated to Las Vegas in 1942, settling with her husband in the Westside African American community. Preddy first sought employment on Jackson Street, the black business district, and soon became a Keno writer in the Cotton Club. Preddy moved … Read MoreSarann Knight Preddy (1920- )

Moulin Rouge

Dancers on stage at the Moulin Rouge, 1955 Image Ownership: Public Domain The Moulin Rouge opened in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1955 and became the first racially integrated hotel-casino in the city. The new casino, built by white businessmen, attracted a sizable number of African American entertainers … Read MoreMoulin Rouge

Paul Robeson (1898-1976)

Paul Robeson is best known as a world famous athlete, singer, actor, and advocate for the human rights of people throughout the world. Over the course of his career Robeson combined all of these activities into a lifelong quest for racial justice. He used his … Read MorePaul Robeson (1898-1976)