January 12
AMOS ’N’ ANDY DAY
Sam ’n’ Henry debuted on WGN Radio in Chicago, Illinois. It was 1926. The show’s name was soon changed to Amos ’n’ Andy and the voices of its creators, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll played to Depression-era audiences; portraying two characters who were constantly looking for extra income. Although the players were white, the characters were supposed to be black. The popular radio show would attract over forty million fans during its radio tenure which ended in 1948. (Gosden and Correll returned to radio with the Amos ’n’ Andy Music Hall [1954-1960]).
When the show moved to television in 1951, black actors replaced Gosden and Correll; and the show was condemned as a one-sided caricature of black Americans. Amos ’n’ Andy, although not politically correct, made broadcasting history. It was the first TV show to have an all-black cast. After two seasons, Amos, Andy and the Kingfish went into syndication.
George Bernard Shaw said, “There are three things I’ll never forget about America: The Rocky Mountains, Niagara Falls, and Amos ’n’ Andy.”
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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