Extremely popular minstrel radio that ran from the 1920s until the 1960s.

Amos n Andy was based on exaggerated racial stereotypes about black life and people. Originally it was called the "Sam 'n Henry" show when it was created in 1926 by two white entertainers: Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll.

Amos' character was weak and very submissive while Andy was boisterous and egotistical. When it debuted nationwide on NBC radio, it became a huge hit playing regualrly in bars and hotels.

African Americans and the NAACP mounted a protest collecting 750,000 signatures calling for the show's cancellation in the early 1930s to no avail.

In 1951, the show was revamped for television with two black actors (Alvin Childress and Tim Moore) portraying the controversial figures. The show, the first ever with an all-black cast, was a hit with black and white audiences alike in it's first year. As the show continued and the characters remained stagnantly stupid, ratings dropped and it was cancelled after season two. It continued to play in syndication until 1966.

Source: Ency. Africana

At the peak of its popularity in the 1930s, Amos 'n Andy was the most popular radio series ever. When the program was on, many businesses closed their doors for the duration; movie theaters were careful not to schedule showings that would conflict with it, and put up speakers in their lobbies so patrons could listen. It was even said that the crime rate dropped while Amos 'n Andy were on the air.

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