Original Brown Bombshell Beauty: Lena Horne 1917-2010
I was both saddened and surprised to hear the news of Lena Horne’s passing earlier this week. Somehow I always thought the legend would live forever. Though she was a legend in the eyes of many, she was a personal icon of sorts for me. I can’t recall the very first time I became enthralled with her, but I remember many, many times when I was influenced by her as a young girl: her appearances on “Sesame Street” and “A Different World”, watching her play Glinda the Good Witch in the film “The Wiz”, renting “Stormy Weather” as a teen when I first fell in love with jazz, or holding the autographed portrait of her she personally signed for my family while visiting Kansas City in the 80s.
When coming up with the name for this blog, I wanted a name that encompassed what all of my Black female role models possessed. These women, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, Dihanne Carroll and others, all possessed a beauty, talent, elegance, poise and sophistication that I have always aspired to and admired. While many admired Lena Horne for her stunning beauty and elegant brand of talent alone, I admired her for her fiery spirit, fearlessness, candidness, and her role in the Civil Rights Movement. While her looks are the thing of legend, she was much more than a pretty face. She was a woman with a sharp, analytical mind who wasn’t afraid to use it.
And that is what a Brown Bombshell Beauty is. A woman who doesn’t hesitate to use her God-given talents to better the lives of others, who doesn’t shy away from living fabulously, and who isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers. These are the things that I will remember Lena Horne for. May she rest in peace.
Share your memories of Lena Horne with us in the comments.
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