Hazel Dorothy Scott was a brilliant jazz and classical pianist, actress, as well as a bold advocate for racial equality and justice. Her immense talent, outspoken stance against racial discrimination, and refusal to conform to societal norms ultimately made her a target during the McCarthy era.
Born on June 11, 1920, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Hazel Scott was the only child of R. Thomas Scott, a West African scholar, and Alma Long Scott, a classically trained pianist and music teacher who instilled in her the values of self-respect and resilience. These principles guided Scott throughout her career.
In 1924, the family relocated to Harlem, New York, where Mr. Scott had secured a university position. Over time, her parents separated, and Alma became Hazel’s primary mentor, cultivating her exceptional musical talent while instilling in her the values of self-respect and perseverance. These principles shaped Scott’s career and fueled her devoted opposition to racial discrimination in the United States.
Hazel demonstrated prodigious abilities, playing anything she heard on the piano. At age eight, she earned a scholarship to the prestigious Juilliard School of Music. By her teens, she was already captivating audiences with her unique blend of classical and jazz styles, earning the nickname “The Hot Classicist.”
As a performer, Scott used her influence to challenge segregation. She refused to play in venues where Black and white audiences were seated separately. In one notable incident, she canceled a performance in Austin, Texas, after learning the venue had segregated seating. She remarked to Time magazine, “Why would anyone come to hear me, a Negro, and refuse to sit beside someone just like me?”
Hazel’s activism extended beyond the stage. In 1949, Scott filed a lawsuit against a Pasco, Washington, restaurant for refusing to serve her and a companion because they were Black. She won the case, inspiring civil rights organizations to push for stronger anti-discrimination laws in Washington State.
In 1950, Scott made history as the first African American to host her own national television show, The Hazel Scott Show. The program featured Scott performing her signature mix of jazz, classical, and popular music, accompanied by top musicians like Charles Mingus and Max Roach.
The show was a groundbreaking achievement for Black representation on television. Scott insisted on maintaining creative control, ensuring her image and performances reflected dignity and excellence. Her presence on-screen provided a rare glimpse of a sophisticated and empowered Black woman during a time of widespread racial prejudice in the entertainment industry.
Scott’s rise to stardom coincided with the Red Scare, also known as McCarthyism after its most prominent advocate, Senator Joseph McCarthy. This period was marked by fear-mongering, suspicion of Communism, radical leftist ideologies, and perceived threats to national security. In June 1950, her name appeared in Red Channels: A Report on Communist Influence in Radio and Television, a publication by three FBI agents accusing entertainers of harboring Communist sympathies.
In the climate of McCarthyism, activism from Black artists was often misconstrued as radical or un-American. Advocating for civil rights was seen by many as aligning with socialist or communist ideologies, as these movements shared some goals of challenging systemic inequality and advocating for the marginalized.
To defend her reputation, Scott voluntarily testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) on September 22, 1950. In a prepared statement, she denied any ties to Communism but expressed frustration with the climate of paranoia and false accusations.
Despite her efforts to clear her name, the fallout was swift. Just one week after her testimony, The Hazel Scott Show was canceled, effectively ending her television career. The blacklist followed her into other areas of entertainment, severely limiting her opportunities in the United States.
Frustrated by the political and racial climate in the United States, Scott moved to Paris in 1957. There, she joined a community of African American expatriates, including James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. In Europe, Scott found refuge and continued to perform, gaining acclaim for her musical prowess while lending her voice to civil rights causes from afar.
In 1963, she marched with other African American expatriates to the U.S. Embassy in Paris to demonstrate support for the March on Washington. Her activism abroad showed her enduring commitment to the fight for racial equality, even as she faced exile from her homeland.
Scott returned to the United States in 1967, after the civil rights movement had achieved significant victories, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Despite these societal advancements, her career never fully recovered from the damage caused by her blacklisting. She continued to perform occasionally in nightclubs, while also appearing on daytime television, until her death from cancer on October 2, 1981, at the age of 61, leaving behind a legacy of artistic brilliance and social activism. She was survived by her son, Adam Clayton Powell III, and two grand children.
Hazel Scott was laid to rest at Flushing Cemetery in Queens, New York, alongside notable musicians like Louis Armstrong, Johnny Hodges, and Dizzy Gillespie.
