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March 1980 Ebony Magazine - Sammy Davis Junior

​Ebony is a monthly magazine that was founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson. Its content focuses on news, culture and entertainment. Ebony was the first magazine geared towards African American readers to reach national circulation.  By the beginning of the 21st century, its circulation had reached about 1.8 million people. Initially the content of the magazine was focused only on entertainment and sports figures but it soon opened up to focus on black achievements of all sorts. This entry highlights Sammy Davis Jr. a singer, musician, dancer, comedian, and professional impersonator. Davis began in showbusiness with his father at a young age. His father, who was also an entertainer, was determined to keep custody of him after his divorce and took him on the road. Eventually, Davis became a part of the act with his father and another performer, Will Mastin, to form the Will Mastin Trio which went on tour nationally. Davis’s career was interrupted when he was drafted into the army but he returned to show business soon after serving. Davis refusal to appear in any clubs that practiced racial segregation led to the integration of several clubs in Miami Beach and Las Vegas.
Sources: https://www.biography.com/performer/sammy-davis-jr and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Davis_Jr.