Nina Mae McKinney (1912–1967) became Hollywood's first Black leading lady when she made her remarkable debut in MGM's Hallelujah in 1929. The multitalented actor, singer, and dancer was also one of the first Black actors whom white and Black movie audiences considered beautiful. Sadly, McKinney was denied an opportunity to tell her story, and her legacy has been underappreciated. Nina Mae McKinney: At the Dawn of Black Hollywood Stardom by Dabian T. Witherspoon attempts to reveal McKinney's story as thoroughly as possible, shedding light on her career and personal life while seeking to establish her rightful place in history.
Dabian T. Witherspoon is a native of Lancaster, South Carolina. He holds an M.A. in African American World Studies from the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. in English from Morgan State University, where one of his concentrations was "language and professional writing" (film studies and screenwriting). Dabian has conducted Black history presentations for schools, churches, and community organizations. He has taught history, film studies, composition, and literature at the high school and college levels. He has also taught drawing classes for children, tutored people of all ages, and worked as a screenplay analyst, copy editor, and project manager (book publishing).