Dorothy Dandridge
The women who raised Dorothy Dandridge fell short when it came to nurturing. Her mother, Ruby Dandridge, pushed Dorothy and her sister onto the stage when they were small children. Ruby’s partner, Geneva Williams, made them practice until they dropped. But Dorothy, often compared to her friend Marilyn Monroe, grew up to become the first African-American to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress, for 1954’s “Carmen Jones.”