ETTA MOTEN BARNETT ,BLACK ACTRESS BORN 1901 NOVEMBER 5
ETTA MOTEN BARNETT ,BLACK ACTRESS BORN 1901 NOVEMBER 5 Etta Moten Barnett (November 5, 1901 – January 2, 2004) was an American actress and contralto vocalist, who was identified with her signature role of "Bess" in Porgy and Bess.[1] She created new roles for African-American women on stage and screen. After her performing career, Barnett was active in Chicago as a major philanthropist and civic activist, raising funds for and supporting cultural, social and church institutions. Biography[edit source] Early years[edit source] Etta Moten was born in Weimar, Texas, the only child of a Methodist minister, Rev. Freeman F. Moten, and his wife Ida.[1] She started singing as a child in the church choir. She attended Western University, a historically black college (HBCU) in Quindaro, Kansas, where she studied music. She completed her education at the University of Kansas, where she earned a B.A. in voice and drama in 1931.[2] Moten became a member of Alpha Kappa A...