When Broadway Was Black Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle and our BookBrowse Review of When Broadway Was Black.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. In the opening of the book, Sissle, Miller, and Lyles brace for the worst during Shuffle Along's most sincere love song. Why were they so afraid of the fallout from that particular scene?
2. In describing Miller's childhood, Gaines draws attention to the relationship between economic class and racism. How would you describe that relationship? What are some ways in which race and class intersect throughout the narrative?
3. Diverse racial representation has a marked impact on audiences, but what effect does it have on future productions? How did Shuffle Along build on the accomplishments of earlier all-Black shows like A Trip to Coontown, In Dahomey, and Bandanna Land?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Sourcebooks. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.