Judy Garland Research Paper

The focus of Norma’s fame is a recurring theme throughout the film that is referenced in order to emphasise the extent to which fame has affected Norma and her life. When Norma decides to talk to Cecil DeMille about her script the young security guard questions her by saying ‘Norma, who?’ as the younger generation are unlikely to have heard of the actress. This further emphasises the harsh reality of fame and in particular, Hollywood, as new actors and actresses are constantly churned out to appeal to the audiences needs for the new Hollywood ‘star’.

Courage is a cardinal virtue every human being needs. Courage is doing something frightening you are for the right being even if you are alone in your belief. Many regular humans have used courage also. For example Dr. Martin Luther King jr. stood up for all African Americans, even though almost everyone did not agree with him. He eventually helped end segregation by raising awareness. Sadly, Dr. Martin Luther King jr. was killed just for his beliefs. Today we celebrate a holiday for his great bravery. Bravery is a synonym of courage.

Mae Carol Jemison was her name she was known for her being the very first African American women to ever aboard the spaceship Endeavour. She is the greatest African American Because when she was a little girl she looked up to her “DREAM” of becoming a real astronaut when she became older. Soon enough her dreams of becoming an astronaut happened…. Her family took to astronaut training where Mae would become the first African American Astronaut, when she went on her first mission with six

As Monroe’s career drug on she lit up every screen that she was on, becoming one of the most famous actresses of her time. She had over thirty well known movies and was continuing to work on more serious roles. In the 40’s 50’s and 60’s women were just stepping out into the business world, going from house wife to working girl. It was the time in which beauty couldn’t have brains in the media’s eyes. Marilyn was put into the stereotypical box of beauty without brains because of all the flirtatious dumb blonde roles that she had played. Though through the later years of her life she was trying to claw her way out of that box because nobody took her seriously. She had said she would never regret the roles she had taken because they got her to the high point in her life that she was at. She had commented, “In Hollywood a girl's virtue is much less important than her hairdo. You're judged by how you look, not by what you are. Hollywood's a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for kiss, and fifty cents for your soul. I know, because I turned down the first offer often enough and held out for the fifty.”

On April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a baby girl named Elizabeth Smith was born. Her house was full, as she was one of seven children and a daughter to a Baptist minister. At age nine, Elizabeth lost her mother and one of her brothers. To make ends meet, she and her brother, Andrew, began to perform on the streets: She sang and danced and he played the guitar. As she grew older, Elizabeth went by the nickname ‘Bessie.’

Billie Holiday was born on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her birth name is Eleanora Fagon, she is the daughter of Sarah Fagon also known as Eleanor Fagon and her father Clarence Holiday. Her parents had her at a young age the mother was only thirteen and the father fifteen years old. Her father was a musician he left Billie and her mother to pursue his career as a jazz guitarist. Billie didn’t have much of a great life growing up her mother had her at a very young age, not having the support of her parents and Billie’s father leaving them both. Her mother couldn’t take care so she sent her to live with Sarah’s older half-sister. She had many ups and down throughout her life. As, a child not having much of her parents in her life, trouble with substance abuse, meeting men who were only interested in her money, and arrested many times in her life.

With the rise of the Harlem Renaissance many African-Americans could show their work on a massive scale. There were many parts to the Harlem Renaissance including art, fashion, dance, and music, mostly jazz. Many up and coming musicians could show their views through music, to a large segment of the population. They confronted the social problems of their day, which included segregation, wrongful prosecution, and past slavery (Berg 27). One singer in particular, Billie Holiday, had a major influence on the movement and the music community, even after her death.

Billie Holiday was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time and she had a thriving career for many years.

Dorothy Day was an influential figure of her time because of her involvement with social activism and the Catholic Church. She used her passion for writing to incorporate biblical scriptures into national problems. Conversion into the Catholic Church influenced the experiences and choices she had made well before and after her decision. Day is most known for her conversion into the Catholic Church, her establishment of the Catholic Worker Movement and her vital work with the poor. Pre conversion Dorothy Day’s was baptized into the Episcopal Church where her mother was also baptized.

Dorothy Day was born in Brooklyn in November 8th, 1897. Her entire family all took the writing field besides one of her three children. Day describes her young childhood at home as not very loving, especially coming from her father. Anytime she was standing in the presence of her father while she was at home, she remarks, “There was never a close embrace.” (Forest 4). However, it seemed that Day’s mother shared great affection and love for her children unlike her husband. Forest explains, “John, referring to Day’s father, seems to have found it easier to be with horses than with children.” In many books that discuss the life of Dorthy Day, Day’s father seemed to quote at times sayings from the Bible because he seemed to carry the book around

The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic, social, and cultural explosion during the 1920s in Harlem, York. This flourishing of African-American culture was an accomplishment in itself, given the times. The early 1900s was a difficult time for African-American people, and a difficult time for women, so one can imagine the difficulties that a woman of color would have endured. Ella Fitzgerald defied those odds, transformed the face of the jazz world, and paved a way for other African-American women to achieve stardom.

From www.biography.com . Billie Holiday was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time. She had a thriving career for many years before she lost her battle with substance abuse. Also known as Lady Day, her autobiography was made into the 1972 film “Lady Sings the Blues.” Billie was born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, some sources say her birthplace was Baltimore, Maryland and her birth certificate reportedly reads “Elinore Harris”).

Nina Simone was one of the most unique, influential, and gifted singers of her generation. She was born on February 21, 1933 as Eunice Waymon, in Tryon, North Carolina. Her mother was a preacher and she started playing piano at an early age, around 3 or 4 at her mother’s church, as she was playing piano at a local recital she caught the eye of an older white woman willing to give her lessons. Nina went on to studying classical piano for 5 years with the woman, learning the stylings of the classical greats such as Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, and Brahms. As a child she felt so isolated, spending up to 7 hours a day practicing the piano, and growing up in the south in the segregation era, she felt as she could not fit in neither with the white or black community, even when surrounded by other children all they wanted to

Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey on August 9, 1963. She performed mainly gospel and pop. She didn’t play any instruments regularly, but there are some videos on YouTube of her playing piano. She sang I Will Always Love You and I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me). I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) was written about finding someone special for themselves. Dolly Parton wrote, composed, and originally recorded I Will Always Love You. In 1992, Houston recorded it for the soundtrack for The Bodyguard. Whitney Houston was signed by three record labels, Arista Records, Sony Music Entertainment, and RCA Records.

Good evening. I’m here today to talk about Now how many of you have heard of