A Radical Performer

ID: 573 ~ Source: Image courtesy of the Texas Collection, Baylor University
This file appears in: Jules Bledsoe
A Radical Performer

During a time when African Americans were not allowed to perform with opera troupes, Bledsoe boldly played the lead role of Canio (in whiteface) in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci.

This file appears in: Jules Bledsoe

By Amanda Sawyer
Julius “Jules” Bledsoe’s extraordinary musical talent transcended racial discrimination of the nineteenth century and established him as a pioneer in American music. Bledsoe was born on December 29, 1897, to Henry and Jessie Bledsoe in Waco. Even…