Wednesday January 14th 2026
All Ages | Doors 6:00PM
Spanish Ballroom @
Elks Temple
565 Broadway
Tacoma, WA 98402
Discover the remarkable first generation of African American artists and performers whose contributions helped shape popular culture. Active after the Civil War and before World War I, many of these artists were the first in their families to be born out of bondage or to attend college—overcoming tremendous hardship in defiance of Jim Crow laws. Using newly discovered documents from the era, this talk reveals the talent, ingenuity, conflicts, and solidarity of the “Vanguard Generation.”
Daniel E. Atkinson earned his PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington, where his research focused on Afro-American vernacular expression. He is the author of The Rediscovery of George Nash Walker: The Price of Black Stardom in Jim Crow America, a biography of the co-founder of the Williams and Walker, the first Black theatre company to succeed on Broadway. He currently works as a maintenance laborer for Tacoma Parks.
We will follow all state and local Covid-19 guidelines in place at the time of each show. Proof of full vaccination or negative Covid-19 test may be required for entry. Please make sure to check back here before attending as policies are subject to change. No refunds will be given
General Admission.
All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. Tickets are non-transferable. Will Call name changes are not permitted.
“Print at Home” Method of Delivery is suggested to avoid potentially long Will Call lines at the Box Office Day Of Show. Print at home tickets can be physically printed out or displayed on your phone to be scanned at the door.
