The Imani Flow

Author:  Dorian Shane Ellis

Lena Horne

Raise your hand if you know who Lena Horne is. Ok, I say about 15% to 20% of YOU know who she is. Now, raise your hand if you are familiar with Glinda the Good Witch from the 1978 remake of “The Wizard of Oz” called, “The Wiz”. Now more hands have gone up! As many of you may or may not know, the singer/actress, activist known as, Lena Horne passed away, on May 9th. Adding to the gaping hole in the disconnect between the older and younger Black generations.

I over heard a black teen tell someone it is not important for her to know about her BLACK culture… I proceeded to tell her that she should keep her ignorant comments to herself. People, such as, Lena Horne, have worked vigorously to open and keep open the opportunities that we take for granted! When the directors said cut, and the cameras were turned off, and lights turned down that was not the end of Lena Horne’s and others roles as torch bearers.

June 30, 1917, Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, was born to an upper class Black family, in Brooklyn, New York. She bounced around the country for a while during her formative years. From Georgia, to Pittsburgh, to New York City before dropping out of high school there. At age 16, her mother started Lena’s trek to fame by having her audition and become a entertainer at the famous(Whites only) Cotton Club.

In 1941, after some time at the Cotton Club the future starlet was lured, by Felix Young, on a journey cross country to Hollywood to star at the Trocadero night club. Everything sounded wonderful except the fact that she was Black in 1941, when Hollywood was a Whites only town. Even though she had a light complexion she was still like a fly in the milk. Which wasn’t appreciated by her white neighbors.

It’s human nature to not want to be that fly. You stand alone and are unwanted in those situations. But, to pursue her goals and aspirations Lena needed to stand strong. Which is lost in today’s society where many have lackadaisical and apathetic attitudes. Everyone has that “hustler’s mentality” to turn a quick buck, but fail to understand longevity is built through hard work.

Mrs. Horne understood what it took and parlayed that into a career that spanned over several decades. She began her acting career with MGM in 1942(where she was second Black woman to have a major movie contract), with a role in “Panama Hattie”. Her next part was singing the title song of “Stormy Weather”. During this same time Black films or films portraying Blacks as being anything more than subservient to Whites were not allowed to be played in many Southern theaters. Subsequently, many of Lena’s early roles were either in all Black musicals or in parts that could easily be taken out for distribution in Southern States.

Today’s world is different in many ways. We have a Black president. Tyler Perry comes out with a new movie viewed worldwide it seems like every three months; and you can look at, date, marry and have sexual encounters with anyone of any race, creed, and gender without facing the same tragic fate of Emmett Till. During the 1950’s… Not so much.

Lena’s thoughts on equality were viewed as doctrines of communism; which conflicted with the normalcy that White Americans had embraced for so long. She refused to play in front of segregated audiences or kowtow to the many Jim Crow laws in place during that time. She once said, “You have to be taught to be second class; you’re not born that way.” This luxury of somewhat equality that is now taken for granted was one of the points that had Mrs. Horne blacklisted from Hollywood, which led her to do more television, nightclubs, and music recordings.

Her recording career garnered her four grammy awards and eight nominations. Mrs. Horne’s career also brought her recognition from the stage theater community and Civil Rights organizations such as the NAACP. She realized her duty to the people was to do more than just entertain; her job was to also pay respects to her culture and set a precedence for future generations.

That is what I should’ve told that teenager, but I didn’t… There are many Black men and women who have made contributions to our society; there are also a few common names that get thrown around each February. We have to do more than just expect teachers to educate our children on Black History. This is our History! Let us take some initiative and do the research to educate our children and ourselves.