New York City had a theater presence as early as the mid-1700s, but not until the late 1800s did most theaters move uptown to the area that is known today as the Theater District. Some of the oldest Broadway theaters that are still in operation today were built in the first years of the 1900s. The Lyceum Theatre, located on West 45th Street, is Broadway’s first theater, constructed in 1903. Recently, over 100 years later, Broadway has acquired some diversification and inclusion with its theater names.

Lena Horne, an actress, singer, dancer, and civil rights activist, is the first Black woman to have a Broadway theater named in her honor. Located on West 47th Street in New York City, the former Brooks Atkinson Theatre has officially been renamed the Lena Horne Theatre. Built in 1926, it was originally known as the Mansfield Theatre before it was renamed for the notable New York Times drama critic Brooks Atkinson in 1960. The Nederlander Organization, which owns the venue said they chose Lena Horne because of her career and her civil rights activism.

Born on June 30,1917, Lena Horne started her career at age 16 after dropping out of school to join the chorus line of the Cotton Club in New York City. She made her Broadway debut in the 1934 production “Dance With Your Gods” and made her first onscreen appearance at age 21 in the film “The Duke is Tops.” Horne’s other appearances include Glinda the good witch in the 1978 film “The Wiz”, which was inspired by “The Wizard of Oz” and featured an all-Black cast including stars Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. Lena Horne was the first African American to sign a seven-year movie deal contract with major studio MGM Studios.

Lena Horne has acquired several awards for her outstanding work in show business. She has three Grammy awards, two NAACP awards, a Tony award, a Kennedy Center Honors award, a Drama Desk Award, and a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Special Citation award. She also has a host of award nominations such as Emmy Award nominations.

After a career that has spanned more than 60 years, Lena Horne passed away of heart failure on May 9, 2010.