Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“The mere fact of living had to be fought because I was black, and I never lost sight of that.”
Lena Horne
Lena Horne was more than a stunning singer and actress. In a career that spanned seven decades, she paved the way for countless black performers, stood on the frontlines of the civil rights struggle and became a proud beacon of African American class and dignity. Her passing on May 9th at the age of 92 marked the end of a remarkable journey that took her from the hard streets of Brooklyn to the night clubs of Harlem, the big screens of Hollywood and the bright lights of Broadway. Like most iconic African American entertainers, Lena Horne used her artistic brilliance to convey deeper messages about life, love and the particular pain of being Black in America. In the 1930s and 40s when Billie Holiday was singing about the “Strange Fruit” lynchings in the American south and Langston Hughes was asking “What happens to a dream deferred,” Lena was having long political conversations with Paul Robeson and packing her bags for Los Angeles, where she became one of the first African Americans to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio.
By her own admission, in addition to her exceptional talent, her light skin and good looks helped get her parts in early films like “Cabin in the Sky” and “Stormy Weather.” She won critical acclaim for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the 1978 movie version of “The Wiz.” And she won a Grammy and special Tony Award for her spectacular 1981 one-woman Broadway show, “Lena Horne: The Lady and her Music.” But like the title of her signature song, Lena faced more than her share of stormy weather. Because of her race, she never had a leading role in the movies and many of her scenes in those early films were edited out for showing in states where theaters could not run films with black performers. But Lena insisted on doing show business on her own terms. In her movie contract, she stipulated that she would not be cast in the role of a mammy or a maid, and in her stage shows she refused to perform for segregated audiences.
Lena Horne’s success introduced her to many of the leading figures of her day in sports, entertainment and politics. Her circle of friends included Paul Robeson, Billy Strayhorn, Harry Belafonte, Joe Louis and Dr. Jeanne Noble, past president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. These associations, coupled with a grandmother who took Lena to National Urban League and NAACP meetings as a child, gave her a passion for civil rights and a strong moral compass. She worked with Eleanor Roosevelt for anti-lynching laws and in 1963 spoke alongside Medgar Evers only a week before he was assassinated. That same year, she discussed race relations with Attorney General Bobby Kennedy and took part in the March on Washington. She was also a long-time supporter of the National Council of Negro Women.
Lena Horne was a once-in-a-lifetime gift to the world. She was an incomparable performer who lived a life of purpose and leaves a legacy of inspiration for us all. We join the nation in mourning her passing.
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