House Recognizes Lena Horne

On April 17, the House passed, 410-2, the Lena Horne Recognition Act (H.R. 1815). The measure would award posthumously the Congressional Gold Medal to the late singer, actor, and civil rights activist Lena Horne.

Sponsored by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL), the legislation contains several findings, including:

• In 1940, Lena Horne became one of the first African American women to perform with an all-white band when she toured with Charlie Barnet’s jazz band as its featured singer;
• Lena Horne was discovered by a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) talent scout and became the first black artist to sign a long-term contract with a major studio;
• During World War II, Lena Horne toured extensively with the United Service Organizations (USO) on the West Coast and in the South in support of the troops and expressed outrage about the way black soldiers were treated;
• She refused to sing for segregated audiences or to groups in which German prisoners of war were seated in front of African American servicemen;
• Although Lena Horne continued to face discrimination, her musical and acting career flourished;
• Lena Horne used her fame to become a powerful voice for civil rights and equality;
• In 1963, she participated in the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his immortal “I Have a Dream” speech; and
• Lena Horne was an entertainer, activist, and mother who used her beauty, talent, and intelligence to fight racial discrimination and injustice and rise to international stardom.