The Apollo

By reading this koob, you will learn how the Apollo Theater has not only been a home for artistic excellence but has also served as a cultural and political sanctuary for the black community.

You will also learn:

• How the Apollo became the creative home for world-famous musicians, dancers, comedians, and performers

• How Amateur Night gives a voice to rising stars

• How the theater serves as a safe haven for free expression and political protest

• How it was reborn after times of financial hardship

• How it continues to showcase political, cultural, and social aspects of the African American experience

Facing racial discrimination, police violence, and everyday hardship, the African American experience is complex, confusing, and controversial. For over 80 years, the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, has given black Americans the chance to express their frustrations, fulfill their highest artistic potential, and work out their identity. It has been a vessel for them to make sense of a world that continually tries to hold them back and has provided a safe space in which they can succeed. Are you ready to dive into the rich, raw, and contentious history of black America through the Apollo Theater?