Black Victorians

Not surprisingly, during the Victorian era in England and the United States, aristocratic white women were often expected to be wives and mothers. There was a small group of Black women who joined the middle or upper class, and their role was far more complex: they were expected to follow the fashion ideas of white society as well as maintain the traditions of Black society.

In England too, a few Black women were permitted to enjoy the upper echelons of society with one even becoming the goddaughter of Queen Victoria herself.

Minnie Brown was an actress and performer who between 1902 and 1918, was an entertainer in Europe, Russia, and the Far East. She was part of the circle of very successful African-American women performers who were based in Russia during those years which included names such as Ollie Burgoyne, Pearl Hobson, and Georgette Harvey.

Frances Gqoba, photographed in London, 1891 was a member of the African Choir, touring England during the 1890s. The South African choir was comprised of seven women and seven men: young, educated people, and devout Christians.

Aida Overton Walker, aka “The Queen of the Cakewalk”, was an African-American vaudeville performer, actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, and wife of vaudevillian George Walker. She appeared with her husband and his performing partner Bert Williams, and in groups such as Black Patti’s Troubadours.

Another singer, Eleanor Xiniwe, was part of this same choir. Her history, along with the others, is important in the context of attempts by Africans to imagine an alternative future for themselves in colonial society -at a time of hardening racial attitudes and increased discrimination. Her necklace, though not as important, still impresses. Photo ©Hulton Archive