Baltimore's Clown Who Became a Historian

For decades, Joe Lee wore two faces in Baltimore. By day, he painted on greasepaint and red noses, bringing laughter to children as a professional clown. By night, he meticulously documented something far more serious: the vanishing history of Baltimore's African American community. Most people knew him as either the clown or the historian—few realized he was both.

Born in Baltimore in 1937, Lee discovered his gift for performance early, becoming one of the city's most beloved children's entertainers. But as he performed at birthday parties and community events throughout Black Baltimore, he witnessed something troubling: entire neighborhoods were disappearing, and their stories were going with them. Urban renewal, white flight, and neglect were erasing decades of African American history.

So Joe Lee picked up a pen alongside his makeup kit. He began systematically documenting the people, places, and events that shaped Black Baltimore—interviewing elders, photographing buildings before demolition, and preserving stories no one else thought to save. His dual legacy reveals how one man's commitment to both joy and memory preserved a community's past for future generations.

Discover how Baltimore's favorite clown became its most important unofficial historian. New episodes of Hometown History release every Tuesday. Every hometown has a story—what's yours?

In This Episode:

• Joe Lee's early life in Baltimore and discovery of his talent for performance
• Building a career as one of the city's most beloved children's entertainers
• Witnessing the erasure of Black Baltimore neighborhoods through urban renewal
• Lee's systematic documentation of African American history and oral histories
• The dual legacy of bringing joy while preserving memory

Key Figures:

• Joe Lee (1937-1998) - Professional clown and self-taught historian who documented Baltimore's African American community

Timeline:

• 1937: Joe Lee born in Baltimore, Maryland
• 1950s-1960s: Establishes himself as professional clown and children's entertainer
• 1960s-1980s: Witnesses urban renewal's impact on Black Baltimore neighborhoods
• 1970s-1990s: Systematically documents African American history through interviews, photographs, and written records
• 1998: Joe Lee passes away, leaving behind extensive historical archives

Historical Context: Baltimore's African American communities faced significant displacement during the urban renewal era of the 1960s-1980s. Entire neighborhoods with rich cultural histories were demolished, and many stories would have been lost without dedicated community historians like Joe Lee who worked to preserve them.

Why This Story Matters: Joe Lee's story reveals how ordinary people become extraordinary historians—not through formal training, but through commitment to their communities. His dual identity as entertainer and documenter shows that preserving history and bringing joy aren't opposing callings, but complementary ones. The archives he created now serve as irreplaceable resources for understanding Baltimore's African American experience during a transformative era.

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