Chitlin' Circuit

The Chitlin' Circuit was a collection of performance venues —"any place white people don’t go to see black people" — found throughout the eastern, southern, and upper Midwest areas of the United States. They provided commercial and cultural acceptance for African-American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers following the era of venues run by the "white-owned-and-operated Theater Owners’ Booking Association (TOBA)...formed in 1921." The Chitlin Circuit sustained Negro musicians and dancers during the era of racial segregation in the United States from the 1930s through the '60s.