There’s a letter from Stepin Fetchit in the John Ford papers at the Lilly Library. It’s handwritten, articulate, dignified, very There’s a letter from Stepin Fetchit in the John Ford papers at the ...

*Stepin Fetchit, known as the laziest man in the world, grew from a widely famous character on the big screen of the 1930s to a modern day slur akin to Uncle Tom. But that’s not what actor Lincoln ...

A block away from Hollywood Boulevard, at 1751 Vine Street, sits a peculiar star on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, a reminder of a period of history that many in the film industry might prefer to ...

During his time, Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry’s success could have been considered the epitome of any man’s dream, regardless of race. Born in Key West, Fla., in 1892 to Caribbean parents, ...

Although he never won an Oscar, Lincoln Perry was America's first black movie star. But for that distinction, Perry paid a heavy price -- he is best known as the character of Stepin Fetchit, a ...

It would be hard to imagine two more divergent personalities than heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and Hollywood comedian Stepin Fetchit. Temperamental opposites, they formed an improbable alliance ...

If Stepin Fetchit could have written his own legacy, he’d have described himself as a pioneer in American cinema, a comedian whose talents helped secure a place for black faces in the formative years ...

In many ways, boxer Muhammad Ali seemed a self-made man. After all, the former Cassius Clay chose his own name, his religion and his causes and captured the attention of the world with his poetry and ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. Although he never won an Oscar, ...