Bring the History. Celebrate the Artists. Inspire Your Audiences.
HISTORY. FILM. ART. PERFORMANCE.
From the classroom to the museum gallery. From the silver screen to the theatrical stage. An extraordinary history is waiting to be rediscovered. Bring overlooked American history to life through extraordinary archival collections, documentary storytelling, live performance, and immersive cultural programming designed to educate, engage, and inspire diverse audiences.
View our Cultural & Educational Partnerships Guide for 2027-2028
JIG SHOW | DOCUMENTARY SCREENING & FILMMAKER CONVERSATION
Film Screening + Discussion with Leslie Cunningham – Screening and moderated conversation | In Person or Virtual
Go behind the scenes of JIG SHOW | Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana, Leslie’s award-winning documentary about her grandfather’s legendary traveling revue. Following the screening, Leslie shares the challenges, surprises, and discoveries of researching a little-known chapter of Black cultural history. A compelling program for film studies, African American studies, public history, and community audiences.
BLACK BURLESQUE HISTORY: BEYOND THE GLITTER
Burlesque history has some fascinating stories to tell, especially when it comes to the Black women who helped shape the art form.
Drawing on her own family history and years of research, Leslie offers original classes that take audiences behind the curtain of early American burlesque, exotic dance, and traveling carnival entertainment.
EDUCATIONAL LICENSING FOR COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
Bring the history directly into your classroom. The Harlem in Havana Project offers film study guides and educational programs for use in college courses, independent study, and institutional learning environments. Course materials can support instruction in:
- African American and Afro-Cuban history
- Women’s and Gender Studies
- Film and Documentary Studies
- Dance, Theater, and Performance History
- American Studies and Public Humanities
- Art, Popular Culture, and Cultural Preservation
Contact us to discuss course licensing and educational partnerships.
EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL CULTURAL PROGRAMS
BROWN SKIN SHOWGIRLS
Historical Exhibitions, Artist Talks & Special Events
Bring the glamour, artistry, and overlooked history of Black and Cuban showgirls to your museum, gallery, or cultural institution.
Brown Skin Showgirls: Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana is a traveling historical exhibition featuring archival photography and storytelling that honors the women who helped shape the world of American burlesque and traveling entertainment.
MEET YOUR PRESENTER
LESLIE CUNNINGHAM – Filmmaker | Cultural Historian | Curator | Writer | Educator
Leslie Cunningham is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, cultural historian, and educator whose work recovers Black stories too often missing from the historical record.
Founder of TRIBES Entertainment and creator of the Harlem in Havana Project, Leslie has spent more than two decades making independent films, publishing books, curating exhibitions, and developing educational programs. A graduate of the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, Leslie brings the eye of a filmmaker, the curiosity of a historian, and the perspective of someone whose own family lived this history. Read more.
BOOK AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
Let’s Bring This History to Your Audience.
Whether you’re planning a university lecture, documentary screening, museum exhibition, Black History Month event, or an afternoon of fascinating show business history, we’d love to hear from you.
Leslie is available for paid speaking engagements, educational workshops, filmmaker conversations, and institutional collaborations. Programs are available in person and virtually. Professional fees are provided upon request. Travel and special production expenses are quoted separately.
Email: info@harleminhavana.com.
