Hollywood legend Lena Horne changed what was possible for African-Americans performers in America. After a difficult childhood, she found a key ally in her father, who made clear to studio head Louis B. Mayer that he could hire a maid for his daughter - she would not need to play one on screen. Alternating between Hollywood, which was depressing because of its limitations on Black actors, and a thriving nightclub career, she built a prolific and unique career trajectory that saw her become a prominent voice in the Civil Rights Movement, and a central figure in the Hollywood spiderwebs that Alicia loves so much.

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