U.S. Census Bureau Black History Month Feature for Feb. 2

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily Black History Month feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2: FLORENCE MILLS

Profile America for the second day of Black History Month. When Florence Mills died in 1927, more than 150,000 people jammed the streets of Harlem to mourn her passing. Duke Ellington wrote the song "Black Beauty" to honor her. Today, she is little known, because her unusual singing voice was never properly recorded and her graceful dancing was never filmed.  During her brief career, she made sensational appearances in Europe, and in various shows in New York. She was revered for her efforts to create opportunities for African-American performers, and to bring black culture to Broadway. Today, there are about 40 new shows opening on Broadway each year, attended by 12 million people annually. This special edition of Profile America is a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau, conducting the 2010 Census beginning April 1st.  

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2010, p. 100

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 1194

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau