On This Day in History

Dorothy Dandridge Remembered 60 Years After Her Death

Clay Cane
September 8, 2025

Reading Time: 2 minutes

On Sept. 8, 1965 — 60 years ago today — the world lost Dorothy Dandridge, a film icon and trailblazer. Dandridge was the first African American woman nominated for an Academy Award for best actress, earning the honor for her unforgettable performance in “Carmen Jones” (1954).

Off comes the silver mink cape as singer Dorothy Dandridge sings of young love, June 21, 1953. She swoops up the 50-yard skirt of the halter-necked pink tulle dress, which is fastened with a jeweled belt. (AP Photo)

Before breaking barriers in Hollywood, she honed her talents as a singer and dancer at legendary venues such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. She also starred in “Bright Road” (1953), a groundbreaking film with an almost all-Black cast.

Dorothy Dandridge, shown on March 31, 1952, wearing black velvet slacks and bodice as she sings at La Vie En Rose in New York. (AP Photo/Ed Ford)

Though later nominated for a Golden Globe for “Porgy and Bess” (1959), her career declined by the early 1960s. On Sept. 8, 1965, Dandridge died in Los Angeles at age 42.

Actress Dorothy Dandridge appears close to tears as she talks with newsmen on leaving court in Los Angeles after testifying in the Hollywood Confidential magazine criminal libel trial, Sept. 3, 1957. She testified that the magazine’s story entitled “What Dorothy Dandridge Did in the Woods” was untrue. (AP Photo/Harold Filan)

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane