Etta Moten Barnett
Weimar, Colorado County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Weimar native Etta Moten (1901-2004) was one of the most acclaimed African American women of the twentieth century. At an early age, she began singing in local African Methodist Episcopal churches where her father pastored. In 1916, she moved with her family to Kansas City, Mo., and later earned her degree in Voice and Drama at the University of Kansas. After moving to New York City in the 1930s, she came in contact with leading figures of the Harlem Renaissance, such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston.After starring in several Broadway shows and radio programs, Etta made her way to Hollywood, where she had a breakthrough role in Gold Diggers of 1933. A show at the Fox Theatre in Washington, D.C. brought her to the attention of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who invited her to sing for the President the following night. On January 30, 1934, Etta Moten became the first African American woman to give a performance at the White House. She performed a set of songs requested by Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt as part of the celebration of his birthday. Later that year, she married noted journalist Claude Barnett (1889-1967), who owned the Associated Negro Press.For decades Etta remained active in civil rights organizations such as the National Council of Negro Women and participated in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. As an award-winning entertainer, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and named by the Texas Women's Chamber of Commerce as one of Texas' 100 Most Influential Women. She retired to Chicago and devoted the rest of her life to fostering interracial and interreligious understanding. Etta died at the age of 102. She is remembered today for breaking color barriers in the entertainment industry and for furthering civil liberties. (2019)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Weimar in 1901, Etta Moten began singing in the AME churches her father pastored and rose to become one of the most acclaimed African American performers of the twentieth century. After a breakthrough role in Gold Diggers of 1933, she made history on January 30, 1934, as the first African American woman to perform at the White House, singing for Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Married to Associated Negro Press founder Claude Barnett, she marched in Washington in 1963 and championed civil rights and interfaith understanding until her death at 102.
Why it matters
Etta Moten Barnett broke color barriers on Broadway, in Hollywood, and at the White House itself, embodying the reach of the Harlem Renaissance and the long fight for equal recognition in American cultural life.
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Related people
- · Etta Moten Barnett
- · Claude Barnett
Themes & tags
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