How it Feels to Be Free

As America underwent radical cultural change in the decades following the second World War, the battle for freedom of expression escalated on many fronts, and a generation of icons stepped into the limelight by publicly fighting for their rights on stage and screen—both as African Americans and as women. Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll, Nina Simone, Cicely Tyson, and Pam Grier were more than mere performers; they were trailblazing black women whose careers were defined by the barriers they broke and the audiences they reached. They forever altered the American ethos through their films, fashion, music, and politics, pushing through the racial and gender limitations of their era to redefine how black womanhood was seen and heard. From a turning point in each woman’s career, her impact reverberated out into the wider culture. How it Feels to Be Free traces that impact, appreciating that these performers are both unique individuals and part of a larger movement that shaped American attitudes about representation, beauty, and entertainment while bringing civil rights politics and activism to a wide audience. Together they laid the foundation for today’s generation of BIPOC performers and artists boldly claiming equitable representation in the entertainment world and society itself.