The Legendary Miss Lena Horne
-
- £8.49
-
- £8.49
Publisher Description
Celebrate the life of Lena Horne, the pioneering African American actress and civil rights activist, with this inspiring and powerful picture book from award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford.
You have to be taught to be second class; you’re not born that way.
Lena Horne was born into the freedom struggle, to a family of teachers and activists. Her mother dreamed of being an actress, so Lena followed in her footsteps as she chased small parts in vaudeville, living out of a suitcase until MGM offered Lena something more—the first ever studio contract for a black actress.
But the roles she was considered for were maids and mammies, stereotypes that Lena refused to play. Still, she never gave up. “Stormy Weather” became her theme song, and when she sang “This Little Light of Mine” at a civil rights rally, she found not only her voice, but her calling.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Weatherford (Freedom in Congo Square) and Zunon (Don't Call Me Grandma) vibrantly capture the setbacks and triumphs of African-American performer Lena Horne, tracing her rise from a Brooklyn childhood to a singer and actress who faced persistent racism. Quotations from Horne and others provide sharp insight into her struggles ("They don't give us a chance very often, and when they do, we have to take it," Count Basie told her), and Zunon's warm-hued, multi-textured oil-and-collage images emphasize the determination of a woman who found her voice on stage as singer, actor, and activist. Ages 4 8.
