Lena Horne (1917-2010)

All the preparations for the launch party have meant that I'm not sure I even noticed that Lena Horne died. Here she is, singing Stormy Weather, one of her most famous songs, in a movie of the same name. Unfortunately she was rarely ever allowed to do that in a system that barred talent because of many people's offensively delicate sensibilities. First because she was black, then because she was suspected of being a Communist (due to her friendship with Paul Robeson), then because she was too old. THE ECONOMIST did a particularly fantastic obituary for her.

Maybe VOW will do a Lena Horne song over the summer. Because obviously we just don't have an ambitious enough agenda yet...