Williams and Walker Co.

[2] His onstage career began at an early age as he toured in black minstrel shows as a child.

[3] While performing with the Minstrels, African American song-and-dance man George Walker and Bert Williams met in San Francisco in 1893.

[4] After falling ill during the tour of Bandana Land in 1909, George Walker returned to Lawrence, Kansas where he died on January 8, 1911.

Bert Williams had fair skin which allowed him easier access to the white dominated vaudeville scene.

Their act, "The Gold Bug" consisted of songs, dance that focused on Walker trying to convince Williams to join him in get-rich-quick schemes.

[3] The duo called themselves the "Two Real Coons" as most of the talent in vaudeville were primarily white and were painted in blackface.

[2] At first the lighter-skinned Bert Williams would trick the darker Walker in their skits, but after a while the two noticed the crowd reacted better when the two reversed roles.

Williams donned the burnt cork black face while George Walker, the "dandy" performed without any makeup at all.

Racial prejudice was said to have shaped Bert William's career as he based his humor on universal situations in which it was possible that one of the audience member would find themselves.

Williams was forced to perform in blackface makeup, gloves and other attire as he consistently played out stereotypical black characters.

"[3] George Walker fought against racism as he provided a place within the company for colored artists which enabled an African American presence on stages across the country.

George Walker played a hustler disguised as a prince from Dahomey who was sent by a group of deceitful investors to convince blacks to join a colony.

[2] Other Williams and Walker Company productions include: The Sons of Ham (1900), The Policy Players (1899), and Bandana Land (1908).

Williams and Walker, together with eight other members of their vaudeville troupe were Initiated into Scottish Freemasonry on 2 May, Passed on 16 May and Raised on 1 June 1904.

Forbes, Camille F., Aug 01, 2008, Introducing Bert Williams: Burnt Cork, Broadway, and the Story of America's First Black Star Basic Books, New York Gale Research.

James Haskins, Black Theater in America (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1982) Mitchell, Loften.