Decolonize Black History Month

Day 22: Nina Mae McKinney

Nina Mae McKinney was born Nannie Mayme McKinney in 1912 in Lancaster, South Carolina. As a teenager she moved to New York City and began acting in live theater, making her Broadway debut at age 16 in Blackbirds of 1928. Though she only had a small part in the chorus, this role gained the attention of director King Vidor, who cast McKinney in his film Hallelujah (1929). Hallelujah was well received; Vidor received an Oscar nomination for the film and McKinney was given a five-year contract with MGM. This contract was unprecedented for Black performers and white studios and MGM did not offer her many roles.

McKinney's difficulty finding work in the United States caused her to move to Europe, where she performed in films, live theater, and television. McKinney starred in films like Sanders of the River (1935) opposite Paul Robeson. She hosted two variety television special on the BBC, Ebony (1937) and Dark Laughter (1937). During WWII McKinney returned to the United States where she found roles in race films and other independent productions such as Pie, Pie, Blackbird (1932) with Eubie Blake. McKinney also continued live performances, touring with a jazz band in 1940. She had a few roles in mainstream films such as Pinky (1949). McKinney was posthumously inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1978.

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