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She began writing plays in 1950, writing about strong women that "no one would be ashamed to play." She wrote five plays, and as a "demanding" director, she mentored young black actors in New York. Her first play was her favorite. Titled
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and film and stage actress. She is also known for being the first woman to work as a licensed taxi driver in New York City, which she began doing in 1942. Despite being blacklisted during the
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In 1979, she founded the H.A.D.L.E.Y. players (Harlem Artist's
Development League Especially for You). She acted into her 80s, retiring from directing at the age of 98.
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228:. Her husband worked as a bodyguard for Robeson, and during the riot, she and her husband rushed to the motorcycles to help get Robeson out.
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Using money she earned as a taxi driver, she enrolled in a speech class to help manage her stammer. The one class she could find was at the
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in
November 2014. She died on April 4, 2018, at the age of 103 at her home in Harlem. She was survived by many nephews and nieces.
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and premiered in 1950, it related to her childhood. Jeannette also performed in it. Jeannette relates being blacklisted during the
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in the early 1940s. In 1942, she took and passed the cab driver's test and became the first female cab driver in New York City.
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In 1935 she became the first woman to get a license to drive a motorcycle in New York City, and she joined her husband's
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in Harlem. Acting was part of the curriculum, and because of that, she studied along with notable actors such as
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Jeannette was one of several prominent
African American theater directors featured in the 13 minute documentary
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173:. Salley Getrude Crawford Hadley, her mother, was a homemaker. Willis Lawrence Hadley, her father, taught on a
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282:, who was also blacklisted. Even though blacklisted, she set up a succession of theater companies in Harlem.
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181:. Gertrude Jeannette had five brothers and one sister, and grew up on a farm. The family moved to
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In the 1960s and 1970s she appeared in a number of
Broadway theater productions. Among them were
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actors in New York City. In the 1960s and 1970s she appeared in
Broadway productions such as
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252:. "Singled out for her stage presence," in 1945, she played her first lead role in the play
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in 1972. She acted into her 80s and retired from directing theater at the age of 98.
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2010 AUDELCO Nomination in three categories for Best Play
Revival for her play
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in the 1950s, she wrote five plays and founded the H.A.D.L.E.Y. Players in
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Drama Mamas: Black Women
Theatre Directors In the Spotlight and Remembered
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1992 Harlem
Business Recognition Award from the Manhattan Section of the
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and president of the motorcycle club the Harlem
Dusters, died in 1956.
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256:. She continued to drive a cab until 1949, when she landed a role in
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1991 Living Legend Award at the
National Black Theatre Festival in
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801:"Gertrude Jeannette, Actor, Director and Cabdriver, Dies at 103"
867:, nydailynews.com; March 31, 2011, accessed December 23, 2014.
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Celebrating The Life Of Harlem’s Gertrude Hadley Jeannette
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Her husband, Joe Jeannette, first proposed to her on her
988:"A Pioneer in the Theater Celebrates her 100th Birthday"
942:"archives.nypl.org -- Gertrude Hadley Jeannette papers"
705:"Theater legend Gertrude Hadley Jeannette, 103, passes"
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2004 Giving Back Award from the Giving Back Corporation
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Gertrude Jeannette was born on November 28, 1914, in
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of the 1950s due to her association with her friend
99:(November 28, 1914 – April 4, 2018) was an American
695:, thehistorymakers.com; accessed February 22, 2017.
990:, Blackstar News, Deardra Shuler, December 2, 2014
855:, The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
654:1999 Inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame
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741:, actorsequity.org; accessed December 23, 2014.
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16:American playwright and actress (1914–2018)
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313:(1977). In 1970 she appeared in the film
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534:Who's Mama's Baby, Who's Daddy's Child?
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965:"Gertrude Jeannette Receives Robeson"
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143:. She also appeared in films such as
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1114:21st-century African-American women
1109:20th-century African-American women
853:"Gertrude Hadley Jeannette (1914–)"
813:from the original on April 26, 2018
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1099:People from Union County, Arkansas
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877:"Hadley Players Founder Turns 100"
799:Wolfe, Jonathan (April 26, 2018).
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325:. Her film credits also include
216:In 1949, she was present at the
111:, remaining active in mentoring
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643:National Council of Negro Women
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1:
1059:African-American centenarians
637:Winston-Salem, North Carolina
632:Personality of the Year Award
82:Actress, playwright, motorist
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450:The Legend of Nigger Charley
343:Reel Sisters of the Diaspora
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1064:American women centenarians
175:Native American reservation
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1054:African-American activists
976:Actors’ Equity Association
663:Actors’ Equity Association
630:Black American Newspaper's
189:, and she enrolled at the
621:Outstanding Pioneer Award
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582:Nobody Loves an Albatross
467:Come Back Charleston Blue
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122:Nobody Loves an Albatross
97:Gertrude Hadley Jeannette
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1074:American stage actresses
1007:New York Times Magazine,
709:New York Amsterdam Press
165:Early life and education
1069:American film actresses
1049:Actresses from Arkansas
205:Motorist and cab driver
1084:Writers from Manhattan
416:Cotton Comes to Harlem
316:Cotton Comes to Harlem
238:American Negro Theater
146:Cotton Comes to Harlem
1079:American taxi drivers
1004:"Gertrude Jeannette,"
1002:Elizabeth McCracken,
900:Harlem World Magazine
304:The Skin of Our Teeth
183:Little Rock, Arkansas
134:The Skin of Our Teeth
865:Profile of Jeannette
510:A Bolt from the Blue
707:, Linda Armstrong,
522:Light in the Cellar
224:attempted to lynch
1094:People from Harlem
1020:Gertrude Jeannette
978:, October 14, 2002
970:2018-04-08 at the
894:2018-04-23 at the
806:The New York Times
737:2018-04-08 at the
659:Paul Robeson Award
501:Playwright credits
494:(final film role)
347:Brooklyn, New York
194:Dunbar High School
23:Gertrude Jeannette
946:archives.nypl.org
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597:Lost in the Stars
590:Sarah Washington
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349:in March 2006.
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272:The Way Forward
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65:(2018-04-04)
1044:2018 deaths
1039:1914 births
567:Vieux Carre
518:(1948-1950)
407:Mrs Dawson
376:Filmography
310:Vieux Carré
307:(1975) and
250:Ossie Davis
220:, when the
185:during the
140:Vieux Carré
1033:Categories
951:2021-07-22
930:Legacy.com
528:Open House
483:Black Girl
370:turned 100
359:prom night
322:Black Girl
191:segregated
158:Black Girl
101:playwright
44:1914-11-28
817:April 27,
678:Footnotes
661:from the
441:Old Lady
276:Red Scare
149:in 1969,
105:Red Scare
90:1945–1977
968:Archived
928:through
892:Archived
811:Archived
735:Archived
626:AT&T
602:1949-50
587:1963-64
505:Source:
301:(1965),
295:(1963),
289:(1960),
264:Broadway
254:Our Town
246:Ruby Dee
756:Profile
732:Biodata
693:Profile
619:AUDELCO
575:Nursie
612:Awards
554:Title
542:(1990)
536:(1985)
530:(1974)
524:(1960)
512:(1948)
392:Notes
383:Title
200:Career
73:, U.S.
54:, U.S.
657:2002
647:1998
624:1987
617:1984
572:1977
560:Role
557:Year
488:1972
472:1972
458:Theo
455:1972
438:1971
433:Shaft
421:1970
404:1964
389:Role
386:Year
328:Shaft
177:near
152:Shaft
1024:IMDb
819:2018
628:and
368:She
248:and
137:and
60:Died
38:Born
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46:)
42:(
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