Growing up my Grandmother introduced me to tons of classic cinema. Laying on the living room couch of her S.E. Washington, D.C. apartment I was introduced to films like Raisin in the Sun, Imitation of Life, Gone with the Wind and Cabin in the Sky to name a few. Today it is with great sadness that we say goodbye to one of the icons of that era, Lena Horne. Ms. Horne's stunning beauty and iconic style has been part of Hollywood since the late 1930's. As one of the first African American women to sign a contract with a major Hollywood studio, Ms Horne was breaking down barriers with her every move. From refusing to perform in places that did not welcome people of color to Marching on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ms Horne was a trendsetter and an activist and will be greatly missed.
(Picture is of Lena Horne playing Georgia Brown in Cabin in the Sky)
1 Interruptions...(comments):
My earliest memory of Ms. Horne, like most of my early memories, involves Sesame Street (stop laughing at me Smiley its an educational institution). I couldn't have been more than 4 or 5 and there she was larger than life on the tv with Kermit the frog singing "It's not Easy Being Green". At that instant it became my favorite Sesame Street song and that pretty smiling lady who made me feel so good about myself became my idol, role model, and love of my life. Even now when life weighs down on me and my self-confidence wanes I play that song and know that everything will be ok.
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