Andra Day Narrates the Story of Hazel Scott in GOOD NIGHT STORIES FOR REBEL GIRLS Podcast Episode

In today's episode of Rebel Girls' Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls podcast, Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day narrates the life and career of pianist and actress Hazel Scott.

Listen below!

The episode focuses on Hazel's life and career, highlighting:

• Her early life and the start of her career: Hazel was born in Trinidad in 1920. As a little girl, Hazel snuck over to the piano while her grandmother was sleeping, and started to experiment with music

• Her journey to America: On her fourth birthday, Hazel and her mother boarded a ship headed for New York - a place full of people from different places who spoke different languages.

• Attending Juilliard: In 1928, Hazel auditioned for The Juilliard School at 16 years old and became the youngest student, and one of the only Black students to study at Juilliard at that time

• In 1939, Hazel joined her mother's all-women jazz band. They performed at Cafe Society, one of the few clubs in the country that wasn't segregated

• A true Rebel Girl, Hazel was determined to stand up for herself and her beliefs - she spoke out about racial injustices and refused to play for segregated audiences, which limited where she could perform

• Her move to Hollywood: In 1942, not many movie roles existed for Black women. When Hazel started to get offers, she told her agent she had a few rules: She would not play a maid. Her skin color would not be altered. She'd wear her own clothes and jewelry, and would always appear as herself

• On one film set, Hazel shut down production for three days because she insisted the black performers be treated with respect

• In 1950, Hazel became the first Black person to have her own self-titled TV show, where she played classical and jazz piano for an eager audience

• During this time, creative people and activists accused of being anti-American and possible communist sympathizers, Hazel included. She hated that people who fought for equal rights were the targets of these investigations and continued to speak up for what she believed in

• This resulted in her TV show getting cancelled, her concert bookings disappearing, and Hazel struggled to keep her career afloat. But, despite her difficulties, Hazel never stopped doing what she loved

Hazel's story is featured in Rebel Girls' newly released book, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Immigrant Women Who Changed the World. The Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls podcast can be found wherever you get your podcasts or on the Rebel Girls website - HERE.