Activist, Singer Lena Horne Dies at 92


Lena Horne
Lena Horne

Lena Horne, the beautiful actress, activist and singer who rose to stardom in the 1930’s, and remained a fixture in society, for over 60 years has passed away at age 92.

She died May 9 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Horne got her start in entertainment as a teen in New York’s Cotton Club. Her career blossomed, and she became an acclaimed actress and singer.

Horne was long involved with the Civil Rights movement. In 1941, she sang at Cafe Society and worked with Paul Robeson. During World War II, when entertaining the troops for the USO, she refused to perform “for segregated audiences or for groups in which German POWs were seated in front of African American servicemen” according to her Kennedy Center biography. She was at the March on Washington and spoke and performed on behalf of the NAACP, SNCC and the National Council of Negro Women. She also worked with Eleanor Roosevelt to pass antilynching laws.

“Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Lena Horne – one of our nation’s most cherished entertainers. From the time her grandmother signed her up for an NAACP membership as a child, she worked tirelessly to further the cause of justice and equality,” President Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.