Pikes Peak Regional History Lecture Series: The Legacy of Fannie Mae Duncan and the Cotton Club

Presented by Kathleen Esmiol
When Fannie Mae Bragg–a young African American teenager from the back roads of rural Oklahoma–arrived in Colorado Springs in 1933, she immediately fell in love with the city. Possessing a confidence and determination that belied her years, she graduated from Colorado Springs High School, married Edward Roy Duncan, and began chasing the American dream. Although widowed by the mid-1950s, Fannie Mae was the legendary owner of the Cotton Club, a major link in the network of venues for the top black entertainers of the day and one of the hottest nightclubs in the West. Fannie Mae Duncan became a catalyst for change during the volatile Civil Rights era and by making “Everybody Welcome” at her Cotton Club, she was instrumental in the peaceful integration of the city she loved so much, Colorado Springs.
Kathleen Esmiol, an award-winning teacher and local author, was Fannie Mae Duncan’s personal friend and biographer. Kathleen penned Fannie Mae’s memoir, Everybody Welcome: A Memoir of Fannie Mae Duncan and the Cotton Club and also Fannie Mae’s biography in the African American National Biography. She documented Fannie Mae’s posthumous induction into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.
Reservations Required – Call (719) 385-5990 or visit www.cspm.org