The story of one of Chicago’s first Black power couples, Etta Moten and Claude Barnett
By Ron Grossman
It was written in the stars for Etta Moten and Claude Barnett to be married on the fly. Professional lives made theirs a commuting romance for years after friends in Chicago felt they should meet.
A classically trained contralto, she was destined to transform “Porgy and Bess” from an also-ran to a classic of the American musical theater. But in 1931, Moten was a showbiz hopeful heading to a Broadway largely closed to African American performers.
Barnett published the American Negro Press, providing stories of interest to Black readers from its office in Chicago, where she had a stopover en route to New York. That led to their first meeting and the beginning of a long-distance romance.
READ MORE: The story of one of Chicago’s first Black power couples, Etta Moten and Claude Barnett
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Posted By: Deacon Ron Gray
Friday, January 27th 2023 at 10:34AM
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