In the Classroom

Maude Russell, chorus line dancer and creator of the Charleston

By HERB BOYD

Special to the AmNews

Among the pleasures reading the late Jean-Claude Baker and Chris Chase’s book “Josephine: The Hungry Heart,” their biography of the great dancer and chanteuse Josephine Baker, is the gallery of notables attracted to the performer’s dynamic vortex. Three of them were chorus line dancers with her— Florence Mills, Maude Russell, Evelyn Anderson, and Lydia Jones. And each of them is given considerable citations in the book, particularly Russell.

During my time with JeanClaude, one of Josephine’s adopted children, at his restaurant on 42nd Street, he would regale me with stories that were too risqué about the dancers, including Russell, to put in the book. He seemed especially fond of recounting the life and times of Russell, and often wished he had more time to devote to a book about her.

He never completed his dream project, nor has anyone else as far as I can discover, though the website Blackthen.com has a brief synopsis of her career that span some 22 years and it was often claimed that she introduced the Charleston dance on Broadway.

Billed as the “Slim Princess” during her glory days on stage and film, Russell was born to a white father and a Black mother in Texas, and as a young girl she worked as a ticket taker and by virtue of this situation met a star performer Sam Russell and they were soon married. Their marriage was as brief as it was violent and having saved a small sum of money, she left him and embarked on her own performances on stage and vaudeville.

Her introduction to the world of entertainment began on stage where she was often cast in the chorus line. It was during these engagements, including at the famous Cotton Club that she performed with a number of aspiring hoofers, none more influential than Josephine Baker. Even so, she had her moments in the spotlight beginning in 1922 with her role in “Liza,” a musical written by Maceo Pinkard. She rocked the show with her routine of the Charleston dance and gained even wider recognition when it was performed in “Runnin’ Wild.”

From this notoriety, she performed in a succession of shows, mostly cameo appearances but nonetheless keeping her name on the tongue and rolodex of countless producers and promoters. “Dixie to Broadway” (1924); “Chocolate Scandals” (1927); “Keep Shufflin’” (1928); “Mamba’s Daughters” (1940); and “The Big White Fog” in 1940, where she was featured with the enormously talented Canada Lee in this play written by Theodore Ward, were among a few of the productions she graced.

“St. Louis Woman” in 1946 is listed as her last show and seven years later she married Septimus Rutherford, chief steward on a major shipping line and retired from performing. But apparently, she had time to reminisce, which she did extensively with Jean-Claude with an emphasis on the time she spent with Josephine.

In several places in the book, she reflected on Josephine’s comic routine that never failed to steal the show. There was a hint of rivalry between them, but they remained cordial friends as they moved from show to show, from continent to continent. In the mid-1930s when Josephine and Russell returned to the states, their relationship was in tatters, and so were Josephine’s performances, so much so that Russell was called in to replace her. Russell was performing with Fats Waller’s band at the Loew’s State Theater when representatives of the Shubert Theater approached her. “They wanted a replacement for Josephine because she wasn’t going over,” Russell told Jean-Claude. “And I opened on a Monday and got a beautiful write-up in the paper, so they came looking for me on Tuesday.”

But apparently things were immediately patched up and Josephine resumed as the star, and Russell continued at Loew’s, according to Jean-Claude. One evening, he said, Russell visited Josephine after her show and spent time with her in the dressing room, where Russell commented favorably on one of Josephine’s outfits. When Russell asked her how it felt to be a big star, Josephine replied, “You get used to it.”

Very little is known about Russell’s life after her career ended on stage, but she was noted as working as a switchboard operator in an Atlantic City hotel, however the years are not mentioned. She was 104 when she died on March 29, 2001. (And this was the only photo available that didn’t include copyright restrictions.)

Maude Russell (Rutherford) ACTIVITIES

FIND OUT MORE

Other than scant bits of information online and in Jean-Claude’s book, most of what we know about her life is found in rare copies of Playbill.

DISCUSSION

To read the more intimate remarks about her and Josephine, get Jean-Claude’s book.

PLACE IN CONTEXT

You can see that she lived more than a century so that places her extensively in the 20th century.

THIS WEEK IN BLACK HISTORY

Mar. 20, 1934: Noted politician Willie Brown Jr., former mayor of San Francisco, was born in Texas.

Mar. 21, 1965: The Selma Freedom March to Montgomery commenced.

Mar. 21, 1990: Namibia, formerly Southwest Africa, gained its independence.

for him in the race.

Brooklyn Democratic Party Leader and Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said that she has known Cunningham for over 12 years since they met when she ran for her seat in 2010. Bichotte said that Cunningham is very experienced, dedicated, and a solid staple of the community.

“As you can see in this room, we have a number of people with different ideologies. They’re moderate, they’re progressive. You have different religions, Jewish and Christian showed up to support him. Black, white, Caribbean,” said Bichotte at the cafe on Election Night. “We’re just excited that he is a true representation of this community.”

“Brian has showed that he’s a true unifier,” said Black Lives Matter Brooklyn President Anthony Beckford.

Councilmember Rita Joseph, another fierce supporter of Cunningham’s, was also present at Lips Cafe. She believes that she and Cunningham will be great partners in the city and the state, and share similar interests in housing, education, and health care.

Cunningham will soon be sworn into office and plans to hit the ground running.

“The big thing is the budget,” said Cunningham about next steps. He said he plans on advocating for tenants and homeowners, childcare, health care, and criminal justice reform in the state budget over the two months left until June primaries.

The June primaries is another election cycle that will determine if Cunnigham stays in office.

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about culture and politics in New York City for The Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

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Continued from page 3

Local Madaline McKay said, “The people protesting for the Depot are not community-based people. They are from New Jersey, blah, blah, blah. They have no connection with the community. None whatsoever: they don’t shop here, they don’t live here, they don’t know the people here.”

NYPD Community Affairs Chaplain Peter Jones said, “I am very disturbed, and I am very angry because they just opened this sex shop right across from a church and a mosque, and on the corner from a school. That is blatantly disrespectful because you’ve got kids that have to walk from school home, or from home to school—and have to pass this shop every day.”

McKay offered, “Take it somewhere else. The kids should learn this at home, and as much as their parents want them to know. Put a library, but a bookstore, put a shelter there. Things that are needed.”

On his social media, Buzzetti stated, “At the end of the day, it’s not my neighborhood, it’s their Brooklyn neighborhood and we do need to be sensitive about their concerns because we are a new business that’s a bit racy. I do understand sex can be controversial to some people. After opening 11 locations, I can almost state with absolute certainty, and assure the community that most residents will not even notice us. The communities we serve all become desensitized, in about 2-3 months, after we open. It becomes simple like they are passing their local deli, when they walk along our storefront, after the initial shock.”

“I spoke to Mayor Adams, and he said that the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings will be acting as a liaison between the community and the business,” McCall told the Amsterdam News.

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Unit Size

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$2,250

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1 Tenant responsible for electricity. Rent includes hot water. Stove is Electrical. 2 Household size includes everyone who will live with you, including parents and children. Subject to occupancy criteria. 3 Household earnings includes salary, hourly wages, tips, Social Security, child support, and other income. Income guidelines subject to change. 4 Minimum income listed may not apply to applicants with Section 8 or other qualifying rental subsidies. Asset limits also apply. 5 Multi-tiered pricing for different units. 1-bedrooms – larger floor plans

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Apply online or through mail. To apply online, please go to nyc.gov/housingconnect. To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to: MGNY Consulting, c/o Astoria West, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications. Do not apply online and also send in a paper application. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.

When is the Deadline?

Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than May 19th, 2022. Late applications will not be considered.

What Happens After You Submit an Application?

After the deadline, applications are selected for review through a lottery process. If yours is selected and you appear to qualify, you will be invited to an appointment of eligibility to continue the process of determining your eligibility. Appointments are usually scheduled from 2 to 10 months after the application deadline. You will be asked to bring documents that verify your household size, identity of members of your household, and your household income. Español Presente una solicitud en línea en nyc.gov/housingconnect. Para recibir una traducción de español de este anuncio y la solicitud impresa, envíe un sobre con la dirección a: MGNY Consulting, c/o Astoria West, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. En el reverso del sobre, escriba en inglés la palabra “SPANISH.” Las solicitudes se deben enviar en línea o con sello postal antes de 19 de mayo 2022. 简体中文 访问 nyc.gov/housingconnect 在线申请。如要获取本广告及书面申请表的简体中文版，请将您的回邮信封寄送至：MGNY Consulting, c/o One Astoria West, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. 信封背面请用英语注明“CHINESE”。必须在以下日期之前在线提交申请 或邮寄书面申请 2022年5月19日.

Русский Чтобы подать заявление через интернет, зайдите на сайт: nyc.gov/housingconnect. Для получения данного объявления и заявления на русском языке отправьте конверт с обратным адресом по адресу MGNY Consulting, c/o Astoria West, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. На задней стороне конверта напишите слово “RUSSIAN” на английском языке. Заявки должны быть поданы онлайн или отправлены по почте (согласно дате на почтовом штемпеле) не позднее 19 май 2022.

한국어 nyc.gov/housingconnect 에서 온라인으로 신청하십시오. 이 광고문과 신청서에 대한 한국어 번역본을 받아보시려면 반송용 봉투를MGNY Consulting, c/o Astoria West, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003으로 보내주십시오. 봉투 뒷면에 “KOREAN” 이라고 영어로 적어주십시오. 2022년5월19 일까지 온라인 신청서를 제출하거나 소인이 찍힌 신청서를 보내야 합니다.

Kreyòl Ayisyien

Aplike sou entènèt sou sitwèb nyc.gov/housingconnect. Pou resevwa yon tradiksyon anons sa a nan lang Kreyòl Ayisyen ak aplikasyon an sou papye, voye anvlòp ki gen adrès pou retounen li nan: MGNY Consulting, c/o Astoria West, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. Nan dèyè anvlòp la, ekri mo “HATIAN CREOLE” an Anglè. Ou dwe remèt aplikasyon yo sou entènèt oswa ou dwe tenbre yo anvan

ﺔﯾﺑرﻌﻟا

dat me 19, 2022.

MGNY Consulting, c/o One

:ﻰﻟإ ناوﻧﻌﻟﺎﺑ ﺎﻓورظﻣ لﺳرأ ، عوﺑطﻣﻟا ﻖﯾﺑطﺗﻟاو نﻼﻋﻹا اذﮭﻟ ﺔﯾﺑرﻌﻟا ﺔﻐﻠﻟﺎﺑ ﺔﻣﺟرﺗ ﻲﻘﻠﺗﻟ .nyc.gov/housingconnect ﻰﻠﻋ تﻧرﺗﻧﻹا رﺑﻋ بﻠط لﺎﺳرإ

تﻧرﺗﻧﻹا رﺑﻋ تﺎﺑﻠطﻟا مﯾدﻘﺗ بﺟﯾ . " "ARABIC ﺔﻣﻠﻛ ﺔﯾزﯾﻠﺟﻧﻹا ﺔﻐﻠﻟﺎﺑ بﺗﻛا ، فورظﻣﻟا رﮭظ ﻰﻠﻋ .

Astoria West th109 East 9 Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003

2022 وﯾﻧوﯾ،

19

لﺑﻗ يدﯾرﺑ مﺗﺧ ﻖﯾرط نﻋ وأ Polskie Aby złożyć wniosek online, przejdź na stronę nyc.gov/housingconnect. Aby uzyskać polskie tłumaczenie tego powiadomienia oraz wniosek w wersji wydrukowanej, wyślij kopertę z własnym adresem: MGNY Consulting, c/o Astoria West, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. Wpisz słowo „POLISH” w j. angielskim na odwrocie koperty. Wnioski muszą posiadać stempel pocztowy lub zostać przesłane online nie później niż 19 maj 2022.

Français Pour déposer votre demande en ligne, rendez-vous sur le site nyc.gov/housingconnect. Pour recevoir une traduction en français de cet avis ainsi qu’un dossier de demande papier, envoyez une enveloppe libellée à votre nom et votre adresse à l’adresse suivante : MGNY Consulting, c/o Astoria West, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003. Inscrivez le mot « FRENCH » au dos de l’enveloppe. Les demandes doivent être envoyées par la poste ou soumises en ligne au plus tard le 19 mai 2022, le cachet de la poste faisant foi. বাংলা অনলাইেনআেবদনকরেত, অন�হকের nyc.gov/housingconnect এযান।এইিব�ি�রবাংলা অনবাদএবংআেবদন��ছাপােনাভােব�পেতএই�ঠকানা�এক�� �-�ে�াি�তখামপাঠান: MGNY Consulting, c/o Astoria West, 109 East 9th Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003।খােমরিপছেন “BENGALI” ����ইংের�জেতিলখন। অ�াি�েক�ন�িলঅব��ই এরমে���পা�মাককরেতহেববাঅনলাইেনজমািদেতহেব।

ودرا

MGNY

:ہﻓﺎﻔﻟ ﮏﯾا ﻞﻣﺎﺣ ﺎﮐ ﮯﺘﭘ ﯽﺗاذ ﮯﻨﭘا ،ﮯﯿﻟ ﮯﮐ ﮯﻧﺮﮐ لﻮﺻﻮﻣ ﺖﺳاﻮﺧرد هﺪﺷ ﭧﻧﺮﭘ روا ہﻤﺟﺮﺗ ﮟﯿﻣ نﺎﺑز ودرا ﺎﮐ ﺲﭨﻮﻧ سا ۔ﮟﯿﺋﺎﺟ ﺮﭘ nyc.gov/housingconnect مﺮﮐ هاﺮﺑ ،ﮯﯿﻟ ﮯﮐ ﮯﻧﺮﮐ ﯽﺋﻼﭘا ﻦﺋﻻ نآ

کرﺎﻣ ﭧﺳﻮﭘ ﮯﯿﻟ ﮯﮐ ںﻮﺘﺳاﻮﺧرد ۔ﮟﯾﺮﮐ ﺮﯾﺮﺤﺗ ﮟﯿﻣ یﺰﯾﺮﮕﻧا U" RDU" ﻆﻔﻟ ﺮﭘ ﺖﺸﭘ ﯽﮐ ﮯﻓﺎﻔﻟ ۔ﮟﯿﺠﯿﮫﺑ ﺮﭘ

Consulting, c/o Astoria West, 109 East 9

th

Street, Storefront, New York NY 10003

۔ﮯﮨ مزﻻ ﺎﻧﺎﺟ ﺎﯾاﺮﮐ ہﻧ ﻊﻤﺟ ﻦﺋﻻ نآ ﮯﺳ ﺮﯿﺧﺎﺗ هدﺎﯾز ﮯﺳ 2022 ﯽ، ﻣﺋ