Lena Horne Recognition Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Lena Horne in recognition of her achievements and contributions to American culture and the civil rights movement.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1993 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1993
To posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Lena Horne in
recognition of her achievements and contributions to American culture
and the civil rights movement.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 14, 2011
Mr. Nelson of Florida (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mrs. Gillibrand, and
Mr. Schumer) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Lena Horne in
recognition of her achievements and contributions to American culture
and the civil rights movement.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Lena Horne Recognition Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917, in
Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 16, Lena Horne was hired as a
dancer in the chorus of Harlem's famous Cotton Club, where she
was introduced to such legendary jazz performers as Duke
Ellington, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Ethel Waters, and Billie
Holiday.
(2) In 1940, she became one of the first African-American
women to perform with an all-White band when she toured with
Charlie Barnet's jazz band as its featured singer.
(3) She was discovered by a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
talent scout and became the first African-American artist to
sign a long-term contract with a major studio.
(4) Despite her extraordinary beauty and talent, Lena Horne
was often limited to minor acting roles because of her race.
(5) Scenes in which she did sing were cut out when they
were sent to local distributors in the South and studio
executives cast another actress as Julie in the film version of
``Show Boat'' instead of Lena Horne because they did not want
the show to star an African-American actress. However, Lena
Horne dazzled audiences and critics in a number of films,
including ``Cabin in the Sky'' and ``Stormy Weather''.
(6) During World War II, Lena Horne toured extensively with
the United Service Organizations (USO) on the West Coast and in
the South in support of the troops and expressed outrage about
the way African-American soldiers were treated.
(7) She refused to sing for segregated audiences or to
groups in which German prisoners of war were seated in front of
African-American servicemen.
(8) During the period of McCarthyism in the 1950s, Lena
Horne was blacklisted as a communist for 7 years because of her
civil rights activism and friendship with Paul Robeson and
W.E.B. Du Bois.
(9) In 1957, Lena Horne recorded Lena Horne at the Waldorf-
Astoria, which reached the Top 10 and became the best-selling
album by a female singer in RCA Victor's history.
(10) Lena Horne rose to international stardom and toured
the world, sharing the stage with such names as Count Basie,
Tony Bennett, Billy Eckstine, Vic Damone, and Harry Belafonte,
and also starred in musical and television specials with such
giants as Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra.
(11) Lena Horne used her fame to become a powerful voice
for civil rights and equality.
(12) In 1963, she participated in the historic March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. delivered his immortal ``I Have a Dream'' speech.
(13) Lena Horne also performed at rallies throughout the
country for the National Council for Negro Women and worked
with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP), of which she was a member from the age of 2,
the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and the Urban League.
(14) Through the end of the 20th century, Lena Horne
continued to entertain large audiences of all ages and
backgrounds. In 1981, she captivated audiences with her one-
woman Broadway show, ``Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music'',
which enjoyed a 14-month run before going on tour, and earned
her a special Tony Award and two Grammy Awards.
(15) In 2002, 73 years after the Academy Awards were first
awarded, Halle Berry became the first African-American woman to
win an Oscar for Best Actress and recognized in her acceptance
speech how Lena Horne paved the way for her and other African-
American actresses.
(16) Lena Horne passed away in New York City on May 9,
2010, at the age of 92.
(17) Lena Horne was an entertainer, activist, and mother
who used her beauty, talent, and intelligence to fight racial
discrimination and injustice and rise to international stardom.
(18) A symbol of elegance and grace, she entertained people
of all walks of life for over 60 years, and broke barriers for
future generations.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make
appropriate arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of
the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in commemoration of
Lena Horne in recognition of her achievements and contributions to
American culture and the civil rights movement.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in
this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck pursuant to section 2, under such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this Act are
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States
Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31,
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, such
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck
pursuant to this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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