BLACK EXCELLENCE TAKES CENTER STAGE

“JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana” a documentary film by Leslie Cunningham Now Streaming on YouTube.

A Dazzling Docuseries Unearths the Forgotten Story of a Revolutionary Black & Cuban Revue That Paved the Way for Today’s Icons

WATCH. SHARE. TEACH. CELEBRATE.

NOW STREAMING FREE: YouTube.com/HarleminHavanaFilm

DURHAM, NC — July 26, 2025 — Before Beyoncé. Before Cardi B. and Megan Thee Stallion —there was Harlem in Havana. Now, this untold legacy, “JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana”, is an 8-part docuseries streaming now for free on YouTube.

A film by Leslie Cunningham and produced independently through TRIBES Entertainment, “JIG SHOW” shines a long-overdue spotlight on Harlem in Havana—a spectacular Black and Cuban traveling revue that electrified state fair midways on Royal American Shows from 1935 to 1967. At the heart of the story is Cunningham’s grandfather, Leon Claxton, a trailblazing impresario who built a dazzling empire under segregation and Jim Crow.

Featuring Afro-Cuban rhythms, breathtaking brown-skinned showgirls, and an all-Black cast of dancers, comedians, and musicians, the revue shattered racial boundaries while celebrating unapologetic Black joy, artistry, and resistance. The cast includes Cunningham’s grandmother, Shirley Bates, one of the original “Brown Skin Showgirls,” whose elegance and boldness shaped the birth of Black burlesque.

From Hidden History to Cultural Celebration.

Each episode—8 to 15 minutes long—is a digestible, educational, and visually rich experience, perfect for cultural institutions and museums, HBCUs and university classrooms, Burlesque and dance communities, Entertainment media and Black history lovers worldwide. This is independent Black storytelling at its finest—funded by love, legacy, and a mission to reclaim what’s ours.

Why this series matters now.

Honors unsung Black and Cuban showgirls whose style, rhythm, and sensuality shaped American entertainment.
Gives overdue recognition to a Black showman who built an empire when the odds were stacked against him.
Free to stream on YouTube and perfect for museum screenings, and academic use.
This is a call to remember, reclaim, and rejoice in our collective brilliance.

NOW STREAMING FREE: YouTube.com/HarleminHavanaFilm