Gertrude Jeannette facts for kids

Gertrude Hadley Jeannette (born November 28, 1914 – died April 4, 2018) was an amazing American woman. She was a talented writer of plays and a popular actress for movies and the stage. Gertrude Jeannette made history by becoming the first woman to be a licensed taxi driver in New York City. She started driving a cab in 1942.

Even when things were tough, like during the Red Scare in the 1950s, she kept going. She wrote five plays and started her own theater group called the H.A.D.L.E.Y. Players in Harlem, New York. She loved helping young African-American actors in New York City. In the 1960s and 1970s, she acted in many famous Broadway plays. She also appeared in movies like Cotton Comes to Harlem and Shaft. Gertrude Jeannette acted until she was in her 80s and directed plays until she was 98 years old!

Early Life and School Days

Gertrude Jeannette was born on November 28, 1914, in a small town called Urbana, Arkansas. Her mother, Salley Getrude Crawford Hadley, was a homemaker. Her father, Willis Lawrence Hadley, was a teacher on a Native American reservation near Spiro, Oklahoma.

Gertrude grew up on a farm with her five brothers and one sister. When the Great Depression happened, her family moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. There, she went to Dunbar High School, which was a segregated school at the time.

Gertrude Jeannette's Career

Gertrude Jeannette had a very interesting career with many firsts!

First Female Motorist and Cab Driver

In 1935, Gertrude Jeannette became the first woman in New York City to get a license to drive a motorcycle. In the early 1940s, she joined her husband's motorcycle club.

Then, in 1942, she took a test to become a taxi driver. She passed the test and became the very first female taxi driver in New York City! This was a big step for women at the time.

In 1949, she was at an event called the Peekskill Riots. During this event, some people from the Ku Klux Klan tried to hurt a famous singer named Paul Robeson. Gertrude's husband was a bodyguard for Robeson. Gertrude and her husband quickly used their motorcycles to help Robeson get away safely.

Her Theater Journey

Gertrude used the money she earned as a taxi driver to take a speech class. She wanted to improve her speaking. The only class she could find was at the American Negro Theater in Harlem. Acting was part of the class, so she studied alongside future stars like Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Ossie Davis.

She was noticed for her strong presence on stage. In 1945, she got her first main role in a play called Our Town. She kept driving her taxi until 1949. That's when she got a role in Lost in the Stars, her first play on Broadway!

Gertrude started writing her own plays in 1950. She wanted to write about strong women that actors would be proud to play. She wrote five plays in total. She was known as a "demanding" director, meaning she pushed young black actors to be their best. Her first play, The Way Forward, was her favorite. It was about her own childhood and premiered in 1950. Gertrude also acted in it.

During the 1950s, a time called the Red Scare, Gertrude was put on a "blacklist." This meant some people tried to stop her from working because of her friendship with Paul Robeson, who was also blacklisted. Even though this was a difficult time, she didn't give up. She started several theater companies in Harlem.

In the 1960s and 1970s, she appeared in many Broadway plays. These included The Long Dream (1960), Nobody Loves an Albatross (1963), and The Amen Corner (1965). She also acted in movies like Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) and Black Girl (1972). Another film she was in was Shaft.

In 1979, Gertrude founded the H.A.D.L.E.Y. Players. This name stood for Harlem Artist's Development League Especially for You. She continued acting into her 80s. She finally retired from directing plays when she was 98 years old!

Gertrude Jeannette was one of several important African American theater directors. She was featured in a short film called Drama Mamas: Black Women Theatre Directors In the Spotlight and Remembered. This film was shown at a festival in Brooklyn, New York in 2006.

Personal Life

Gertrude Jeannette married Joe Jeannette. They got married in New York in 1933. Joe was a prizefighter and led a motorcycle club called the Harlem Dusters. He passed away in 1956.

Gertrude Jeannette lived a very long life. She turned 100 years old in November 2014. She passed away on April 4, 2018, at the age of 103, at her home in Harlem. She had many nieces and nephews who survived her.

Awards and Honors

Gertrude Jeannette received many awards for her amazing work:

• 1984 AUDELCO Outstanding Pioneer Award
• 1987 AT&T and Black American Newspaper's Personality of the Year Award
• 1991 Living Legend Award at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• 1992 Harlem Business Recognition Award from the Manhattan Section of the National Council of Negro Women
• 1998 Lionel Hampton Legacy Award
• 1999 Inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame
• 2002 Paul Robeson Award from the Actors’ Equity Association
• 2004 Giving Back Award from the Giving Back Corporation
• 2010 AUDELCO Nomination for Best Play Revival for her play Gladys' Dilemma