Funky Turns 40: Black Character Revolution Exhibition At The DuSable Museum

CHICAGO

• Herbie Hancock – Hey, Hey, Hey It’s Fat Albert (1969) – Produced Fat Albert Rotunda, soundtrack for the first Fat Albert primetime television special, which was the first positive Black Cast cartoon to appear on television. Herbie Hancock was born in Chicago.

• Bob Crowder – Peter Jones – The Hardy Boys (1969) – Played the live action Peter Jones, the first positive Black male and Black musician character in a Saturday morning cartoon series. Bob Crowder attended the University of Chicago and studied the drums at the Chicago Conservatory of Music. He was a session drummer in Chicago during the 1960’s and 1970’s.

• Herb Jeffries – Freight Train – Where’s Huddles (1970) – Voiced Freight Train, the first positive Black male and Black athlete character in a primetime cartoon series. Herb Jeffries was a Black actor and singer who was born in Detroit and lived and worked in Chicago.

• Harlem Globetrotters (1970) – Featured in the first positive Black cast Saturday morning cartoon series and first featuring Black athletes. The Harlem Globetrotters originated on the south side of Chicago in the 1920’s. All of the members of the original team grew up in Chicago.

• Don Cornelius – Soul Train (1970-2006) – Soul Train premiered on WCIU-TV in Chicago on August 17, 1970, as a live show airing weekday afternoons. In 1971, it premiered in syndication and went on to become the longest-running first-run nationally syndicated program in American television history. It was also the first syndicated series to feature an animated opening created and produced by Black people. The animated train opening was conceived by Don Cornelius and created by Black animators. Don Cornelius was born in Chicago.

• Muhammad Ali – I Am The Greatest!: The Adventures Of Muhammad Ali (1977) – Voiced his own character in the second positive Black cast Saturday morning cartoon series featuring a Black athlete. The series was created and produced while Muhammad Ali lived in Chicago.

• Robin Harris – Bebe’s Kids (1992) – His stand-up comedy routine was the basis for the first positive animated feature film with a Black main cast, second featuring Black characters created from a comedy routine. Robin Harris was born in Chicago.

• Oprah Winfrey – Our Friend Martin (1999) – Voiced Coretta Scott King in the second positive animated feature film with a Black main cast. Oprah Winfrey was a longtime Chicago resident.

• Mellody Hobson – DreamWorks Animation (2012) – First Black female named as Chairman of a major animation studio. DreamWorks Animation owns the assets of Filmation Associates and Rankin/Bass Productions, which brought many positive Black characters to television through the following 1970‘s Saturday morning cartoon series: Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids, Jackson 5ive, Kid Power, Mission Magic!, Space Sentinels, Star Trek, Superstretch And Microwoman, The Hardy Boys and The U.S. Of Archie. Mellody Hobson was born in and lives in Chicago.

• Barack Obama – President of the United States – The Black Character Revolution generation is the first to produce and elect the first Black President of the United States. Barack Obama was a community organizer, University of Chicago Professor and three term Senator from Chicago.

ILLINOIS

• Nichelle Nichols – Lt. Uhura – Star Trek (1973) – First positive Black character from a television series to appear as the same character in a Saturday morning cartoon series. Nichelle Nichols was born in Robbins, Illinois.

• Reggie Hudlin – Bebe’s Kids (1992) – Executive Producer of the first positive animated feature film with a Black main cast, second featuring Black characters created from a comedy routine. Reggie Hudlin was born in Centreville, Illinois.

MIDWEST

• Scatman Crothers – Harlem Globetrotters (1970) – Voiced Meadowlark Lemon in the first positive Black cast Saturday morning cartoon series, first featuring Black athletes. Hong Kong Phooey (1974) – Voiced Hong Kong Phooey, the first Black superhero in a Saturday morning cartoon series. Super Globetrotters (1979) – Voiced the Nate Branch / Liquid Man character. Scatman Crothers was born in Terre Haute, Indiana.

• The Jackson Five – Jackson 5ive (1971) – Starred in the first positive Black cast Saturday morning cartoon series featuring Black musicians. The Jackson Five were born in Gary, Indiana.

• Berry Gordy was one of the first Black people to lead the development of animated television programming featuring Black characters from concept through to art creation and production. The Jackson 5ive was the first television series produced by Motown. Berry Gordy was born in Detroit.