Revolution Televised.pdf

Reading the Roots of Resistance 11
the predominant audience for black minstrelsy. Though some may
interpret this participation as an acceptance of white America’s
perceptions of African Americans and a case of self-oppression,
as Watkins argues, the amusement could also have emanated from
an acknowledgment of the ridiculous and exaggerated nature of the
minstrels’ behavior. 26 Because of segregation in most forms of social
interaction, African American humor was given a separate space
to develop its specific characteristics. African American blackface
minstrelsy for segregated black audiences established venues for
professional black performers and the development and expression
of black humor. By the early 1900s the evolution of the black
road show, which also catered to African American audiences, gave
way to the Theater Owners Booking Association (TOBA, or Toby
Circuit) and eventually to the Chitlin’ Circuit.
Starting in 1907, the TOBA provided a circuit of theaters that
showcased black performers. The circuit included playhouses in
the South and the Midwest, primarily in the black areas of major
cities and in smaller towns. Many African American musicians and
comedians, such as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Dewey “Pigmeat”
Markham, Count Basie, Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Moms Mabley,
and Sammy Davis Jr., developed their skills on the TOBA Circuit.
Although the TOBA provided steady work for black performers
and assured them payment, the theaters were often rundown. Performers
had to help with the setup of the theater and performed at
least two shows a day, seven days a week. Watkins states:
[T]o many black entertainers, the acronym TOBA became widely
known as “Tough on Black Asses.” Still, TOBA looms as one of the
most important chapters in African American entertainment history.
It provided the principal transition from minstrelsy’s rigidly
maintained stereotypes to a performance style that more accurately
reflected the majority tastes of the black community. 27
The TOBA was a black communal space, the comedians of the
TOBA practiced black humor, and the audiences were active participants,
openly showing their pleasure or annoyance with an act.
As Watkins describes, “Audiences would greet unpopular acts with
derisive catcalls, invective, and an occasional flying missile.” 28 Using
the tradition of African American cultural practices such as call-andresponse,
the audiences were as much a part of the act as the onstage
performers. 29