Ep. 26 Hazel Scott: How "Little and Petty Men" Erased a Rare Gem of a Human

She could play the piano by ear at the age of 3 and was accepted into the prestigious Julliard school of music at age 8. By 19 she was headlining at Café Society, the first racially integrated club in New York City. She went on to become a successful Hollywood film star, fierce Civil Rights activist, and the first Black woman to host her own television show. She counted Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Dizzy Gillespie as close friends, dominating the jazz scene as a piano virtuoso who put her own spin on the classics. Her rise to the top was nothing short of inspirational, the American dream at its finest, loved by all, glowing, electric. But did you know, you’ve probably never even heard of her? Let’s fix that. 

Sources: 

• WNYC Archives 1951 Hazel Scott Radio Interview (full)
• The Hazel Scott Show 1950 video clip
• Library of Congress Magazine "Jazz's Lost Star"
• National Women's History Museum "Hazel Scott"
• The Washington Post "McCarthyism silenced this Black icon. Now dancers are making noise."
• Library of Congress Blogs "Hazel Scott: The Gorgeous Face of Jazz at the Mid-Century"
• Smithsonian Magazine "Hazel Scott's Lifetime of High Notes"
• Encyclopedia Britannica "House Un-American Activities Committee" 
• The New Yorker "Joseph McCarthy and the Force of Political Falsehoods"
• The National WWII Museum of New Orleans "Cold Conflict"

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