Known For: Acting
Born: June 11, 1920
Place of Birth: Port of Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
Died: October 2, 1981

Hazel Scott

Hazel Dorothy Scott was a Trinidad-born jazz and classical pianist, singer, actress, television pioneer, and civil rights advocate. Born on June 11, 1920, in Port of Spain, Trinidad, she moved to Harlem, New York, as a child and became a celebrated prodigy, studying piano at Juilliard at an unusually young age. Known for her dazzling ability to “swing the classics,” Scott blended classical technique with jazz improvisation and rose to fame at New York’s Café Society. In Hollywood, Scott refused degrading roles and insisted on appearing as herself, using her public image to challenge racist portrayals of Black women. She also refused to perform before segregated audiences and used contract clauses to force venues toward integration. In 1950, she made television history as the first African American to host her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show. Her career was damaged by Red Scare blackli…