(June 13th 1912 - May 3rd 1967)

Born in Lancaster, South Carolina in 1912, Nannie Mayme McKinney would become a singing and dancing star of stage and screen. Moving to New York with her parents as part of the great migration, Nina made her Broadway debut as a chorus girl in the hit production "Blackbirds of 1928" starring Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Adelaide Hall. The following year the actress made history in the film "Hallelujah" becoming the first African-American to play the lead in a mainstream motion picture. While touring Europe during the 1930's Nina Mae Mckinney earned the nicknamed "The Black Garbo" for her beauty.