The chitlin’ circuit was a network of entertainment venues for black audiences during the segregated era in the US. Black entertainers were limited to these venues due to segregation laws, but some white patrons were welcome. The circuit extended from the Northeast to the Midwest and the American South, and jazz musicians often crossed the color line. Some white musicians booked black musicians under their own names, contributing to the civil rights movement.
During the segregated era in the United States, black entertainers and their fans were not welcome in “white only” venues. In response, a large network of entertainment venues geared towards black audiences arose, and this network became known in the “chitlin circuit.” Many prominent black entertainers worked the chitlin’ circuit from the 1800s through the 1960s, and a tradition of predominantly black venues has survived in the United States, even as segregation laws have been scratched from the books.
The term “chitlin loop” comes from a popular item that appears on many Southern soul food menus: offal. Offal, also called chitlin, is pig intestines that are meticulously cleaned and then stewed or fried. Chitlins have become closely associated with black culture in the United States, although they are actually popular among white Southerners as well.
Segregation laws in the United States presented a unique challenge for entertainers. Some black entertainers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Aretha Franklin and Cab Calloway were admired by blacks and whites alike, but could not perform in segregated venues. When touring, black entertainers were limited to the chitlin’ circuit, because these venues were the only safe venues for black musicians, comedians, and other performers.
Baltimore is often seen as the heart of the chitlin’ circuit, thanks to its rich artistic heritage. The chitlin’ circuit wound upward in the Northeast, with many musicians making stops at places like New York’s Cotton Club, and then extended into the Midwest, including stops like Detroit’s Fox Theater and the Regal Theater of Chicago. Entertainers might also take a trip to the American South, hitting the Victory Grill in Texas or the Ritz Theater in Florida.
As a general rule, most of the patrons at the venues along the chitlin’ circuit were black. However, curious white patrons were welcome at some venues, particularly venues focused on jazz, a form of music that often crossed the color line, recognizing talent wherever it was found. When integration laws forced the dissolution of “white-only” venues, some black artists chose to stick to the chitlin’ circuit, where they felt more comfortable, especially in areas with de facto segregation that made it difficult to perform in venues traditionally white.
Especially in the field of jazz, some white musicians have booked under their own names and added talented black musicians to their entourage when those musicians found they could not book such venues themselves. This has sometimes sparked controversy, though those brave musicians have since been recognized for their contributions to the civil rights movement.
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