Little Known Black History Fact: Hazel Scott

Hazel Scott may not now be a household name, but her success in the world of entertainment was amazing nevertheless. On this day in 1950, Scott became the first woman of color to host a televised network series. The Hazel Scott Show made its debut on the now-defunct DuMont Network, a daring move for the fledgling network considering the racial tension of the times.

Hazel Dorothy Scott was born on June 11, 1920 in Port Of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. At the age of four, she came to live in the United States with her mother. A gifted child pianist, the young prodigy was awarded scholarships to the prestigious Julliard School of Music. Her classical training morphed into performing, and she joined a band in her teens. In the 1930s and 40s, Scott’s talent as a jazz artist gained her international acclaim. Scott was sought after for her piano playing and singing skills, thrilling audiences of all kinds.

She was versatile too, able to play jazz, blues, ballads, show tunes and classical music. She also began dabbling in acting on Broadway, making her screen debut in 1943 in the film Something To Shout About. Most notably, she acted alongside the legendary Lena Horne in Broadway Rhythm the following year. Scott also appeared as herself in the George Gershwin biopic Rhapsody in Blue in 1945.

The Hazel Scott Show was a 15-minute musical and variety show that aired three times a week at 7:45 PM. Critics gushed over Scott’s talent, and Variety magazine hailed the show as “engaging.” A staunch advocate of civil rights, Scott was known to refuse “mammy” or subservient roles that made her appear lesser than she was.

In her film contracts, Scott negotiated “final-cut” privileges and typically provided her own wardrobe. She would also refuse to perform in Whites-only nightclubs, once stating that she would not do a show in a place where people that looked like her couldn’t enter the venue. Scott was also involved in a lawsuit in Pasco, Wash. where she and a companion sued a restaurant for refusing to serve them. She won the lawsuit, which sparked the signing of the Public Accommodations Act of 1953 in the state.

Scott’s radical nature would be her undoing. During the time of McCarthyism, American paranoia over communist ideology led to a blacklist of several prominent entertainers. Scott’s name was listed in a book called “The Red Channels: A Report on Communist Influence in Radio and Television.” She appeared before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), reading a statement where she denied any connections with communists. However, she acknowledged supporting a Communist Party member who was then running for City Council.

On September 29, 1950, a week after her statement, DuMont canceled her show. Scott continued to perform, and even appeared on other networks as a guest. However, she continued her vocal opposition to McCarthyism and racial segregation eventually moving to France to escape the racism and oppression she felt in America.

She returned to America in 1967, at one of the highest points of the civil rights movement. Scott then moved back to acting and made appearances on Diahann Carroll’s Julia television program, among other shows.

Scott’s first husband was New York congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Together they had a son, Adam Clayton Powell III.

Scott died of cancer at the age of 61 in 1981.

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