Hazel Scott

Hazel Dorothy Scott (June 11, 1920 – October 2, 1981) was an American jazz and classical pianist and singer. An outspoken critic of racial discrimination and segregation, she used her influence to improve the representation of Black Americans in film. Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Scott moved to New York City with her mother at the age of four. Scott was a musical child prodigy, receiving scholarships to study at the Juilliard School when she was eight. In her teens, she performed at Café Society while still at school. She also performed on the radio. She was active as a jazz singer throughout the 1930s and 1940s. In 1950, she became the first black American to host her own TV series, The Hazel Scott Show. Scott’s career in the United States faltered after she testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1950 during the era of McCarthyism. Scott subsequently moved to Paris, France, in 1957 and began performing in Europe. She did not return to the United States for ten years, until 1967.