Maggie Hathaway facts for kids

Maggie Mae Hathaway (born July 1, 1911 – died September 24, 2001) was an amazing American woman. She was a strong activist, a talented blues singer, an actress, a sports writer, and a golfer. Maggie started her career as an actress. Later, she began recording music in Los Angeles, releasing several songs. She became well-known in the 1950s for her activism and her love for golf. In 1967, she helped create the NAACP Image Awards.

Life and Career

Maggie Hathaway was born in Campti, Louisiana. In 1931, she moved to Los Angeles. She hoped to play piano in clubs on Central Avenue, also called "Black Broadway." Instead, she started working in Hollywood films. She often appeared as an "extra," which means a background actor. She played roles like an "Egyptian" or other "exotic" characters.

Hollywood Days

Maggie auditioned for the movie Cabin in the Sky. She was hired as a "body double" for Lena Horne. This meant she stood in for Lena Horne in some scenes. Later, she worked as Lena Horne's "stand-in" for the movie Stormy Weather. A stand-in helps with lighting and camera setups before the main actor arrives.

However, her Hollywood career ended. She refused to play an extra in a movie about Woodrow Wilson. The role required her to wear a bandanna and sit on a bale of cotton. Maggie felt this was a disrespectful stereotype. After this, she went back to singing in clubs in Los Angeles. She recorded songs like “Bayou Baby Blues” and “School Girl Blues.” She also recorded “A Falling Star” and “When Gabriel Blows His Horn” with The Robins. As a solo artist, she sang “Here Goes a Fool.”

Fighting for Fairness

During the Civil Rights Movement, Maggie Hathaway became a very important activist. She worked in the Los Angeles-Hollywood area. In 1955, she won a bet against Joe Louis and started playing golf. She soon noticed that many golf courses did not allow Black people to play. Maggie began to speak out against this unfairness.

By 1958, she started writing a golf column. It appeared in the California Eagle newspaper. She wrote about Black professional golfers. She also wrote a golf column for the Los Angeles Sentinel.

In 1960, Maggie organized a group called the Minority Association for Golfers (MAG). This group helped young Black golfers. It also worked to create more golf jobs for them. In 1963, Maggie led a protest during a PGA event. It was at the Long Beach municipal golf course. She protested because there were not enough golf jobs for Black professional golfers. She also worked to get more Black players into PGA tournaments.

Leading the NAACP

Maggie's activism grew to include bigger issues. In 1962, she became the first president of the new Beverly Hills-Hollywood branch of the NAACP. The NAACP is a group that works for equal rights for Black people. In 1967, she teamed up with Sammy Davis, Jr. and Willis Edwards. Together, they held the very first NAACP Image Awards. These awards celebrate the achievements of people of color in entertainment.

In 1975, Maggie Hathaway asked for Lee Elder to be invited to play in the Masters Tournament. This was a very important step for Black golfers. For many years, she kept writing for the Los Angeles Sentinel. She also created chances for young minority golfers to play. Famous PGA players, like Jack Nicklaus, even helped her with money.

Maggie Hathaway passed away on September 24, 2001.

Her Lasting Impact

In 1994, Maggie Hathaway was honored. She was put into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame.

In 1997, a golf course in Los Angeles was renamed after her. The Jack Thompson Golf Course became the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course. This shows how much she helped the sport.

Personal Life

Maggie Hathaway had a daughter named Ondra Louise Fleming, who was born in 1936.