Gwen Reed facts for kids

Gwen Reed (1912-1974) was an amazing actress and a strong supporter of education. She was an African-American woman from Hartford, Connecticut. She worked hard to help children learn and grow.

Biography

Early Life

Gwendolyn B. Clarke was born in Harlem, New York, in 1912. Her parents were Georgianna and George Nathanial Clarke. When Gwen was a child, her parents separated. She then moved with her mother to Hartford, Connecticut. In Connecticut, Gwen worked with her mother in tobacco fields.

Gwen graduated from Hartford Public High School. After high school, she briefly studied law at Hartford Federal College. In 1935, she married John T. Reed. They separated after four years and later divorced in 1948.

Acting Career

In 1936, Gwen Reed started working as a secretary for the Charles Gilpin Players. This was a theater group. They were part of the "Negro Unit" of the Connecticut Federal Theatre Project. The group was named after Charles Gilpin, a famous Black actor. He was known for his role in The Emperor Jones.

The next year, Gwen got her first acting role. It was a small part in the Gilpin Players' show Trilogy in Black. Gwen went on to act in many more plays. These included The World We Live In, Mississippi Rainbow, and The Emperor Jones. In 1938, a reviewer said Gwen's performance in The Field God was "by far the best player."

From 1946 to 1964, Gwen played the character Aunt Jemima. This was a spokesperson for Quaker Oats Company products. She traveled to many places like festivals, grocery stores, and state fairs. She helped promote the brands. Her real name was not used in newspaper stories about her appearances.

Gwen also kept acting in local theater shows. She performed with groups like the Mark Twain Masquers and the Hartford Community Players.

In 1951, Gwen became the director of the Hartford Community Players. For 16 years, her group put on many plays. Some famous ones were A Raisin in the Sun, Rain, and Purlie Victorious. Gwen won the Herald Award for best supporting actress in Purlie Victorious.

Helping Kids Learn

Gwen Reed was very active in helping her community and supporting education. She loved reading stories to children. She did this at the Children's Corner of the Hartford Public Library. This later became a TV show on Channel 3 called "Story Time with Gwen Reed."

Gwen was also a big part of the Head Start and Reading is Fundamental programs. These programs help young children get ready for school and learn to read. She also started a program called Playtime for Tots. This program helped preschool children in her Hartford Bellevue Square housing complex.

Legacy

Gwen Reed passed away in 1974. After her death, the mayor of Hartford, George Athanson, honored her. He named the story room at the Hartford Public Library the Gwen Reed Room. There is also a star on the library's patio. It honors Gwen's important contributions to Hartford. The Hartford Public Library keeps many of Gwen Reed's important papers.

In 2021, a theater group called HartBeat Ensemble received money. They got $15,000 from the New England Foundation of the Arts. This money was to create a new play about Gwen Reed's life.