Cooper came from a poor family in Memphis, Tennessee. The youngest of 10 children, he quit school at the age of 10 and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. His formative years there set him up for success.
During his teen years, he hustled with different odd jobs. He was also a boxer, winning the Ohio Negro welterweight title in the late 1910s. He seemed to be able to do it all, but entertainment was his true ambition.
Cooper began his entertainment career on a popular Black comedy and theater circuit. But this show was white-owned and sometimes Cooper had to do anti-Black roles.
No one knew it, but Cooper was a writer. Eventually, he created his own radio program just for Black audiences titled, The All-Negro Hour. It was a runaway success.
Cooper reminds us that Black voices matter. He used radio to fulfill his dream of being an entertainer while also serving the Black community when no one else would.