Hazel Scott was a musical prodigy from Trinidad and Tobago, whose soul and conviction to do right were as big as her talent. Known in the jazz and classical music worlds, she shone on the American stage from the 30s to the 50s, challenging the racial segregation and discrimination of her time.

As a great advocate of the respectable and accurate depiction of black people on the big screen, she refused multiple roles on movies that didn’t deliver in that regard, only appearing as herself —with her usual clothes and accesories, to preserve her image— in five movies between 1943 and 1945. Enjoy this wonderful scene of hers that comes from one of these movies, the 1943 film ‘The Heat’s On’, directed by Gregory Ratoff and distributed by Columbia Pictures:

The two pianos act became a staple of Hazel Scott’s legacy, and later artists like Alicia Keys paid tribute to her by referencing it. It’s just brilliant showmanship!

Hazel Scott would later get her own TV show, one of the first in USA’s history to be hosted by an African American, which had 15 minutes long episodes running three times a week. It was unfortunately cancelled due to accusations that involved her with communism during McCarthyism —which she denied. Despite this setback and the toll it took on her, Hazel Scott remained both successful, making a career in Europe after moving to Paris for a few years, and vocal against racial discrimination and segregation.

More than 40 years after her passing, Hazel Scott remains an example and inspiration. Let’s enjoy her wonderful music, preserved in film, and remember her commitment for the respectable depiction of Black lives and culture in media.