IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 277 
Expressing the sense of Congress that Lena Horne should be recognized 
as one of the most outstanding American entertainers of the 20th cen-
tury, who broke racial barriers and created opportunities for generations 
of African-American performers who followed in her footsteps. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 12, 2010 
Mr. RANGEL submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that Lena Horne should 
be recognized as one of the most outstanding American 
entertainers of the 20th century, who broke racial bar-
riers and created opportunities for generations of Afri-
can-American performers who followed in her footsteps. 
Whereas Lena Horne was born on June 30, 1917, in Brook-
lyn, New York; 
Whereas she left school at the age of 14 and took her first 
job on the stage in order to help her family survive the 
Depression of the 1930s; 
Whereas Horne began singing at Harlem’s famed Cotton 
Club at age 16 and moved on to Broadway soon after; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:36 May 13, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC277.IH
HC277
pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with BILLS
•HCON 277 IH 
Whereas Horne was 21 when she performed in her first musi-
cal film role, ‘‘The Duke is Tops’’; 
Whereas Lena Horne insisted on playing dignified characters 
that showcased her musical talent, refusing to be 
typecast in subservient roles normally reserved for Black 
actors; 
Whereas Horne eventually signed with MGM studios, the 
first African-American to be signed to a long-term film 
contract; 
Whereas she insisted on the stipulation that she would never 
be required to play a maid, only to find that she was 
edited out of films that were distributed in the South; 
Whereas in 1943 Horne performed in two all-Black musicals, 
‘‘Stormy Weather’’ and ‘‘Cabin in the Sky’’, which are 
regarded as the premier performances of her career; 
Whereas Lena Horne received a Special Tony Award in 1981 
for her one-woman show ‘‘Lena Horne: The Lady and 
Her Music’’ for which she still holds the record for the 
longest-running solo performance in Broadway history; 
Whereas despite her fame and success, Lena Horne was com-
mitted to rectifying the social injustices of her time and 
was involved in political activism through organizations 
such as the National Council of Negro Women and the 
NAACP; 
Whereas Lena Horne was a member of the Delta Sigma 
Theta Sorority, Inc, and worked tirelessly with Eleanor 
Roosevelt to pass anti-lynching laws; 
Whereas Horne performed during the historic 1963 civil 
rights March on Washington along with many noted art-
ists, including Harry Belafonte, Mahalia Jackson, Marian 
Anderson, and Josephine Baker; and 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:36 May 13, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HC277.IH
HC277
pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with BILLS
•HCON 277 IH 
Whereas Lena Horne represented the elegance and glamour 
of Hollywood, and at the same time the wisdom, 
strength, and determination of an entire generation of 
performers who struggled through racism and prejudice 
during the height of their careers: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that Lena 
Horne should be recognized for her achievements as one 
of the most outstanding American entertainers of the 20th 
century, for breaking racial barriers and creating opportu-
nities for the generations of African-American performers 
who followed in her footsteps, for her contributions to the 
struggles for equality, and for using her celebrity as a cat-
alyst for change. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
03:36 May 13, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HC277.IH
HC277
pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with BILLS