whatilearned
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sullivan#Sullivan,_the_starmaker
TIL Ed Sullivan went against pressure to not have African American entertainers on his show, and to not interact with them when they appeared. He presented groundbreaking performances by people like Bo Diddley, and presented obscure, less mainstream Black acts he knew from spending time in Harlem.
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Yup! Sam Cooke was booked to appear on his show before being murdered. Ed Sullivan was an underground ally for musical artists of color during the civil rights era.
I grew up watching re-runs of his show with my Dad. Absolutely love it still.