When Lena Horne signed her first big movie deal, she was elated. No one had done this before, and she knew she was about to shine for her people! Instead, she remained the “exotic mulatta” who sang, danced, and disappeared from the screen. But that wasn’t the worst of it.
She learned early that Hollywood’s open doors only remained that way if she stayed in her lane and didn’t celebrate her heritage or political views – something she realized when she befriended Paul Robeson. Her name appeared on the damaging “Communist sympathizer” list, and suddenly her career stopped in its tracks.
Had she endured all the racism and sexist overtures for nothing? How could she reclaim her life?
What she experienced in Hollywood, breaking barriers and paving roads for other Black actresses, cost her dearly. But, fed up, she then charted her own path. She decided to give tours in Europe and rebirthed herself as a cabaret nightclub singer.
She sustained herself, built a new career on her own terms, and her fame grew. She didn’t sit around wondering how she could fight their stereotypes. Horne simply built her own powerful empire, making us proud.
There will often be racist barriers in our path – but there will also often be opportunities to forge our own success if we refuse to play their games!