RICHARD BERRY HARRISON (1864-1935)
The image here is from the Atlanta Daily World, Nov. 3, 1933. The caption has been enlarged for clarity. It is about Richard Harrison who was starring in the play, Green Pastures. Harrison, the son of slaves, was born in London, Canada West. He died two years after this performance.
The photograph below is from the plaque found in Richard B. Harrison Park which is located near the newly renovated Clark's Bridge on Wellington Road between South Street and Watson Street. There is a good Wikipedia entry for Richard Berry Harrison. This brief bio is from On This Spot:
"Richard B. Harrison (1864-1935) was a London-born actor, whose parents, both former slaves, escaped to Canada in the 1850s. The family remained in London until 1880 when they moved to Detroit, where Harrison trained as an elocutionist. His stage work, which took him all over Canada and the United States, was comprised of dramatic monologues, as well as readings of poetry and literature.
The role that would make him famous was that of "De Lawd” in a play called the Green Pastures. Seen today as somewhat patronizing and fostering African-American stereotypes, the play at the time was well received. It won the Pulitzer Prize for author Marc Connolly in 1931 the same year that Harrison received the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal, presented annually for outstanding achievement by a Black American. Harrison toured with a production of the Green Pastures to over 200 cities including London, his hometown.
In 2019, London playwright and actor Jeff Culbert, created a one-man theatre piece entitled "Elocution: The Life of Richard Berry Harrison” starring legendary Canadian actor Walter Borden. It can be heard at www.jeffculbert.ca."
