Women | Page 59 | MNopedia

Black and white photograph of Hilda Simms (left) posed for a promotional photo for Life Magazine, c.1945.

Hilda Simms at a promotional event

Hilda Simms (left) posed for a promotional photo for Life Magazine, ca.1945.

Black and white photograph of Hilda Simms with Earl Hollman and other actors from the Harlem Theater in New York City, c.1943.

Hilda Simms with other actors from the Harlem Theater

Hilda Simms (center right) with Earl Hollman and other actors from the Harlem Theater in New York City, ca. 1943.

Hilda Simms Backstage

Hilda Simms posed for a photo in her dressing room, c.1943.

Hilda Simms

A promotional photo taken early in Hilda Simms’s acting career, c.1940.

Raised in a large Catholic family in North Minneapolis, Hilda Simms became a national celebrity for her leading role in the first all-Black performance of the Broadway show Anna Lucasta. Frustrated by her struggling career and the lack of roles for Black actors, Simms worked as the creative director for the New York State Human Rights Commission to address racial discrimination in the entertainment industry.