TVC 726.3: Ed welcomes Jennifer Jones, the first African-American member of the world renowned Radio City Rockettes, and an award-winning performer who is celebrated for her pioneering achievements and unwavering advocacy for equal rights in the arts. Jennifer's memoir, Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience from The First African-American Rockette, not only tells the story of how she helped establish a transformative era for The Rockettes while inspiring other black dancers, but also recounts her triumphant battle against colorectal cancer in 2018. March is both Women's History Month and Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Becoming Spectacular is available wherever books are sold through Amistad Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. Topics this segment include how Jennifer's faith helped her overcome some of the challenges she faced during her early days with the Rockettes; how she knew, from a young age, that she wanted to perform on stage; and how conquering self-doubt is like peeling away layers of an onion. For our listeners in the Greater L.A. Metro area, Jennifer Jones' story is also included in This Joint is Jumpin', a new exhibit at The Hollywood Museum that honors the contributions of many notable black artists, singers, actors, writers, and sports figures, including Whitney Houston, Lena Horne, Denzel Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, The Pointer Sisters, Dionne Warwick, Forrest Whitaker, Wesley Snipes, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Angela Bassett, Muhammad Ali, Will Smith, Halle Berry, Viola Davis, Diana Ross, and Oprah Winfrey. For tickets and more information: TheHollywoodMuseum.com

Jennifer Jones on what it means to become spectacular