Lena Horne is a Hollywood legend and icon whose career spanned seven decades, but #DidYouKnow that she was also a #CivilRights activist?
Instead, she staged her shows to play for mixed audiences of black U.S. troops and German POWs. During those performances, black U.S. troops were still seated at the back of the audience. Horne promptly walked towards the back row and performed her entire set with the German POWs behind her.
She continued to be a voice for Civil Rights throughout her career, speaking on behalf of the NAACP, SNCC and the National Council of Negro Women at the March on Washington. She also worked with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt campaigning to pass anti-lynching laws. She was awarded with the NAACP's Spingarn Medal in 1983 for her contributions to Civil Rights.
You can see Lena Horne in "Cabin in the Sky" on YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Vudu.
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