Georgia Burke

Georgia Burke (February 27, 1878 – November 28, 1985) was an entertainer for more than three decades, including the Harlem Renaissance years.

Life

Georgia Burke was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her father was a Methodist minister and her mother was a nurse. They had eight children together including Georgia. Burke attended Atlanta public schools, Clark University and Claflin College. Before she decided to become an entertainer Burks taught grade school in Wilson, North Carolina for six years.

Burke resided at DeWitt Nursing Home in New York City until her death in 1985. There she was a member of their chorale.

Career

On a trip to New York, encouraged by a friend Burke auditioned for Blackbirds (1928). She was hired on the spot. She performed in Broadway shows in supporting roles, including The Grass Harp, Anna Lucasta, and Mandingo. Later, she played the role of Maria in George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, where she shared a stage with Cab Calloway and Leontyne Price. She also performed with Ethel Waters in Mamba’s Daughters. In the radio soap opera, When a Girl Marries, that was played on major networks from 1939 to 1957, Burke performed the role of Lily.

In 1952, Jet magazine included Burke in an article about body image and Black female entertainers. The author positioned that Burke’s weight was not an issue because she was often cast in Broadway shows.^[1]

References

1. ↑ Bracks, Lean’tin and Smith, Jessie. Black Women of the Harlem Renaissance Era. London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014