'BIRLEANNA BLANKS (Cunningham) 1889-1968 Cosmos Half American Indian and half African American, Birleana Blanks was one of the first generation of African Americans to star in the musical comedy theater. Before 1920, she toured the vaudeville circuit teamed with her sister as a singing and dancing act. She then sang in a whole series of musical comedies at the Lafayette Theater in Harlem beginning with "Over the Top" in 1919 and then in other theaters in the mid 1920s.'