Minnesota Now and Then: A Minnesotan Broadway performer’s stardom was limited by the Red Scare

If you were a devoted theater fan in 1940s Minneapolis, you would have come across a rising star named Hilda Simms, born Hilda Moses. She went on to star on Broadway, appear on magazine covers, perform in Europe and act in Hollywood movies and TV shows. Throughout her career, Hilda Simms dedicated herself to speaking out against poverty and racism. But according to a new book out Tuesday, her talent and hard work were constrained by the limited roles available to Black women. Plus, her career and those of other Black actors involved in civil rights work suffered from the impact of the Hollywood Red Scare. The Red Scare was a period when artists accused of having Communist ties were shut out of roles. JoJo Bell is the author of “Red Stained: The Life of Hilda Simms” and she joined Minnesota Now to talk about Hilda’s beginnings at the Phyllis Wheatley House in north Minneapolis, the theater roles available to Black women during Hilda’s life and the impact she left on her communities.