Viola Fletcher was born in Comanche, Oklahoma, but moved to Tulsa with her family. The Fletchers lived in Greenwood, an affluent neighborhood of black families, known as “Black Wall Street.” On May 31, 1921, mobs of white residents — some supposedly working as deputized agent of local government — attacked and destroyed the homes and …
Born in Trinidad, Hazel Scott moved to the United States when she was four. Labeled a child prodigy, Hazel began music studies at the Julliard School of Music at 8 years old. She was able to pick out any tune she heard on the piano. At 13, she joined an all-girl jazz band, playing piano …
Effa Manley was born in Philadelphia and , after graduating from vocational school, took a job as a hatmaker. A baseball fan from an early age, she met Abe Manley at a New York Yankees game. Abe owned the Newark Eagles, a popular baseball club in the Negro Leagues. Effa married Abe in 1935 and …
Joyce Bryant had aspirations of becoming a teacher. But, at 19, she was dared to participate in an impromptu singalong at a local Oakland club. She noticed that she was the only one singing. The club owner offered her $25 to continue. She accepted, as she need the money to get home. And that was …
Pamela Low graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1951 with a degree in microbiology. She went to work as a flavorist for Arthur D. Little, an international consulting firm based in Boston. In the early 1960s, Pamela was tasked with devising a flavor for a new cereal to be introduced by Quaker Oats, …
Pretty Kandi Barbour was discovered by photographer Diana Hardy in the 1970s. As a teenager and under Hardy’s direction, Kandi began posing for various men’s magazines. At 19, she ventured into the world of hardcore pornography, appearing in over 30 films. She eventually left the adult film business to focus on mainstream modeling. She became …
Jane Dornacker was born performing. As a precocious elementary school student, she wrote a six-act play. At 8, she performed all the parts of an opera she had written in a secret language that only she understood. In high school, Jane was featured in productions in her native Albuquerque’s theater scene, including The Bad Seed. …
