Lena Horne
Lena Horne (1917–2010) was an American singer, actress, and civil rights activist.
She became one of the first Black performers to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio, though racial barriers limited her to roles that could be cut from films shown in the South.
Her signature song was "Stormy Weather." Horne's career spanned seven decades, from the Cotton Club to Broadway to the recording studio.
Vocal music performer
- actressFemale stage performer
- chanteuseFemale nightclub singer
- BroadwayManhattan theatrical district
- HollywoodAmerican film industry center
Cotton Club · nightclub · cabaret · MGM · stage · headliner · one-woman show · Tony Award
First to forge ahead
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
- firstsEarliest occurrences of something
- role modelPerson others emulate
- inspirationSource of creative impulse
legend · influential · representation · resilience · persistence · overcoming · symbol · icon
Guaranteed individual legal protections
- NAACPCivil rights advocacy organization
- integrationCombining into a whole
- desegregationEnding enforced group separation
- racial justiceFairness regardless of ethnicity
discrimination · segregation · blacklist · Hollywood blacklist · testimony · boycott · equality · advocacy
singer
Vocal music performer
Hollywood · Cotton Club · nightclub · cabaret · MGM · stage · headliner · one-woman show · Tony Award · Grammy
trailblazer
First to forge ahead
- groundbreakingIntroducing radical new ideas
- firstsEarliest occurrences of something
- role modelPerson others emulate
inspiration · legend · influential · representation · resilience · persistence · overcoming · symbol · icon · distinguished
civil rights
Guaranteed individual legal protections
- NAACPCivil rights advocacy organization
- integrationCombining into a whole
- desegregationEnding enforced group separation
racial justice · discrimination · segregation · blacklist · Hollywood blacklist · testimony · boycott · equality · advocacy · protest
elegance
Refined, graceful quality
- sophisticationCultured elegance and complexity
- beautyAesthetic excellence
- styleDistinctive way of expression
grace · poise · fashion · charm · allure · chic · radiance · icon · stunning · Cover Girl
swing
Suspended recreational seat
torch singer · vocal · scat · bebop · Duke Ellington · orchestra · phrasing · crooner · melody · harmony