BROWN SKIN SHOWGIRLS T-SHIRTS – GRAB YOUR FAVORITE!
Watch: Documentary Film
NOW STREAMING FREE ON TUBE: YouTube.com/HarleminHavanaFilm
NEWS:
Remembering Shirley Bates Johnson: The Legendary Lead Dancer of Harlem in Havana
SHIRLEY BATES: THE QUEEN OF HARLEM IN HAVANA It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of SHIRLEY BATES JOHNSON, the phenomenal Brown Skin Showgirl and Black Burlesque icon who passed yesterday in Tampa, Florida at the remarkable age of 102. Shirley joined Leon Claxton’s girl show revue in 1939 at just 16…
Harlem in Havana® Newsletter
Summer 2026 Pull Back the Curtain: The Show Is Just Getting Started Hello Beautiful People, If you’ve been following this journey for a while, you already know, I have a habit of falling down rabbit holes. One newspaper clipping becomes fifty. One photograph leads to another city. One forgotten performer refuses to leave my mind…
Harlem in Havana Featured in All About Jazz: A Hidden Chapter of Black Music History
We’re honored to share that the film project on Harlem in Havana has been featured in All About Jazz. The article, which explores the vital role of circus and carnival circuits in spreading Black music across America, highlights a powerful and often overlooked history—how early performers carried the roots of jazz, blues, and rhythm &…
Harlem in Havana News
Events: Brown Skin Showgirls
Exhibits: Brown Skin Showgirls: Leon Claxton’s Harlem in Havana, 1930s-1960s.
Photo Gallery: View Mesmerizing Snapshots from the Harlem in Havana Revue!
Books: Brown Skin Showgirls Vol I and II
Education: Burlesque Education Series
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