Thank You Ms. Horne

 

"I was unique in that I was a kind of black that white people could accept," she once said. "I was their daydream. I had the worst kind of acceptance because it was never for how great I was or what I contributed. It was because of the way I looked."  Lena Horne

 

Legendary Lena Horne died today (May 9, 2010) at the ripe age of 92.  How wonderful is it to live for 92 years through it all.  Life is full of so much opportunity that we do not take advantage of especially in the Black community.  We lack pride as a culture and do not always recognize the struggle that was endured for our well being.  We do not always listen to the words of ALL of those before us.  We do not take the time to educate ourselves about being black (african american, colored, negro). 

"I was always battling the system to try to get to be with my people.
Finally, I wouldn't work for places that kept us out ...
it was a damn fight everywhere I was, every place I worked,
in New York, in Hollywood, all over the world,"
she said in Brian Lanker's book

"I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America."

I was lucky, as many of my generation was, in having a man like Dr. King in our lives. He came at a time that we needed to take a long look at each other and see how similar we were.  Every color I can think of and nationality, we were all touched by Dr. King because he made us like each other and respect each other. 

I remember the day Dr. King died. I wasn't angry at the beginning. It was like something very personal in my life had been touched and finished.

"I wouldn't trade my life for anything," she said,

"because being black made me understand." Lena Horne