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Florita Bell Griffin

Florita Bell Griffin PhD

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April 21st, 2014 - 03:08 AM

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Florita Bell Griffin

"First Black Beauty"
Acrylic on Canvas
Artist: Frederick G Ford, PhD

Nina Mae McKinney 6/13/1912-5/3/1967 was indeed a bright-eyed beauty. She was born Nannie Mayme McKinney, and was one of the first African-American film stars in the United States, as well as, one of the first African Americans to appear on British television. McKinney was always on stage. She had the looks, the body and the talent to succeed, but in the 1920’s, Hollywood was afraid to take the chance on turning a black woman into a glamorous sex symbol.

McKinney learned, as did other women, that except for maid roles, there was little work for a black woman in American “show biz.” Realizing that she could not achieve true stardom in Hollywood, McKinney took her great talent abroad. In Paris, London, Dublin and Budapest, she received recognition for her beauty and talent. and became known as the “Black Garbo.” During her career, McKinney appeared in 19 films and plays in the US and abroad.

Four pieces comprise the Classic Colors Collection. Each painting depicts the image of a pioneer who blazed the trail of progress in the areas of Civil Rights, Fashion, Acting and Sports. Included in the series are: Nubian Orange Juice, First Black Beauty, Nothing but the Blues, and My Pink Lady.

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