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African American Actors
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Nannie Burroughs presents flowers to MacBeth star Edna Thomas Photograph showing educator and activist Nannie Helen Burroughs presenting a large floral arrangement to stage and film actress Edna Thomas following a performance of MacBeth, circa 1936. Thomas, an Atlanta-born performer known for her work in theater and early American film, stands near the center of the image receiving the bouquet. Other individuals identified in the photograph (from left to right) include Mrs. U. R. McDodana, Jesse O. Thomas, Samuel Houston, and John Silvera, who appears in the background. The group is gathered indoors, dressed in formal attire typical of the mid-1930s. The image documents a moment of recognition celebrating the achievements of an African American performer during a period when Black artists and intellectuals were expanding their presence in American theater, film, and cultural life despite the limitations imposed by segregation. The photograph forms part of the Jesse O. Thomas papers.