Walter Barnes was an important figure in history for several reasons. • Mr. Barnes was a popular columnist, writing for the Chicago Defender, the national black news of the day. • Walter Barnes & His Royal Creolians became the first black band to broadcast in Chicago, over WHFC. • Barnes’s writings became the guide for traveling black bands in the South, opening a new frontier to the black band business. • Barnes’s greatness as an entertainer stemmed from his ability to exploit his audience’s desires. He became Duke Ellington to the smaller dance halls of the South. • Trapped in…