alwaysmarilynmonroe:

Something you may not know about Marilyn is that she was a big influence for equality and civil rights. Marilyn was also one of the main reasons famous singer Ella Fitzgerald became famous, she is quoted saying,

“I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt…it was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the ’50s. She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him - and it was true, due to Marilyn’s superstar status - that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman - a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it.” - Ella Fitzgerald

Another one of the picture features William Travilla and Marilyn in 1952 at the club 5-4 in South Central Los Angeles, which was almost an exclusively black club. This caused a huge stir for Twentieth Century Fox and they promptly fired Travilla from working on Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, assuming he was a, “bad influence” on Marilyn. However, Marilyn retaliated and warned studio bosses if Travilla goes then she will go to, so they indeed hired him back. However, the studios were sadly successful in pulling this photo out of circulation, however at least it is back now. :)

Marilyn also said in her last interview for Life Magazine in 1962,  ”What the world really needs is a feeling of kinship. Everybody; Stars Laborers. Negroes. Jews. Arabs. We are all brothers.”