African American History

Eubie Blake (left) with Noble Sissle (right) and Josephine Baker, c. 1951 

Source: mdhs | Maryland Historical Society, Special Collections Department

Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier (5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967) was a British actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark Gable, in the American Civil War drama Gone with the Wind. 

Source: wikipedia | latinamericana

Janet Collins

Janet Collins the first Black Prima ballerina at The Metropolitan Opera in her dressing room on the night of her debut, November 11, 1951. Ms. Collins, a cousin of Carmen De Lavallade, performed Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida” that night. She died in 2003 at the age of 86.

Janet Collins (March 7, 1917 - May 28, 2003), was a ballet dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She performed on Broadway, in films, and appeared frequently on television. She grew up in Los Angeles, California. She auditioned for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo when she was only 15. She was very talented, but she was not accepted because she was black. They told her she would have to dance in a white face. She said no thanks. She had a chance to dance at the 92nd Street YMHA in February 1948. In 1951 she became the first African American prima ballerina at the Metropolitan Opera in NY, NY.

Source: vintageblackglamour | google | freebase