On May 9, 2010, the world lost one of its brightest stars. Lena Horne passed away at the age of 92, leaving a rich legacy which touched the worlds of film, music, and entertainment. Lena also left a mark in the world of fashion, representing the faces of women of color all around the world.  These women rarely saw themselves in major magazine publications. Lena was able to break the mold, being strong and still smiling despite having to face hard times. To understand the strength behind the smile, one first has to know a little of Lena’s history and what she had to go through.

Lena started out in the entertainment world at the age of sixteen (16!). She was a Chorus girl at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York (Lena was also a native New Yorker, born in Brooklyn).  I can’t imagine what this must have felt like, performing so young in an adult setting. After she worked in the Cotton Club, Ms. Horne later did work as a jazz singer for the Noble Sissle band.

What stood out about Lena was her stage presence and great voice.  A few years after traveling with the Noble Sissle Band, Lena began to grow weary of the road life and settled into a calmer lifestyle just performing lightly in night clubs.  Not even knowing that a major blessing was about to happen for her, Lena one night was discovered by an agent from the film studio Metro Goldwyn Mayer. The agent, obviously taken by Lena, decided that she would be great in film.

Hollywood, in the 1930’s and 40’s, was a testing ground for African American actresses.  Many had to accept roles which were unflattering. Thankfully, Lena did not have to go through this, but she had to quietly sit in the background for a majority of her roles.  Beautiful yet quiet, she was not given the opportunity to show her true acting talent. Still, Lena kept smiling and followed through. Another test which came Lena’s way was when she was blacklisted in the 1950’s for her political beliefs. This mean she was not allowed to perform at all.  Years later, the charge was lifted and Lena made a return to performing and also became an active participant in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960’s.

After looking recently through pictures of Lena, I saw that she was a fashion trendsetter in her own right! Lena could wear an evening gown and make one feel elegant, a stylish hat which represented the debutant/society girl, or just a dress jacket which represented the young, hip woman of the day! My favorite picture of Lena was one she took when she was a young lady. Dressed in a simple striped shirt, the photo makes you feel calm and youthful as we see Lena on the beach relaxing.

This lady had so much style.  Even in her 80’s, when she did a commercial for Gap, she presented a coolness to the clothes (and still showed her trademark spunk and smile). I believe that Lena was one of the first African-American models, even though that was not her pursuit. She paved the way for actresses such as Zoe Saldana, Halle Berry, Rosario Dawson, and so many others.

I hope that we all never forget Lena Horne, her smile, and her example to stand tall even when things do get tough.

Tags: african american, brooklyn, civil rights movement, cotton club, Entertainment, Fashion, film, halle berry, harlem, Label Girl Hype, lena horne, magazine, metro goldwyn mayer, Music, new york, noble sissle band, rosario dawson, trend, women, zoe saldana

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