Nat King Cole Hosts First Network TV Show by a Black Performer

Nat King Cole became the first Black American to host a network television variety show when 'The Nat King Cole Show' premiered on NBC in November 1956. Despite his immense popularity, the show struggled to find a national sponsor due to racial prejudice from advertisers, and it was cancelled after a year. Cole famously remarked that 'Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark,' exposing the systemic racism that constrained Black entertainers even at the height of fame.