Journal Five by Miranda

In my research, I wanted to find out who exactly Bessie Smith was, and how did she come to die in the Riverside Hotel. Bessie Smith was a famous female blues singer. She was born in Chattanooga Tennessee on April 15th, 1894. She was known for her very powerful and soulful voice. In 1923 she had signed a contract with Columbia Records at the age of 19. Soon after she was among the highest-paid black performers of her time. On September 26, 1937 Bessie had died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident at what is now known as the Riverside Hotel. The very same hotel that Profile Z.L. Hill was the operator. A former colored only hospital, now turned into a hotel where people can stay at a fairly cheap cost.

The vocabulary word I looked up was Issaquena. As of the 2010, the population was 1,406, making it the least populous county in the state, Issaquena County is the third poorest county in the United States. This is central to this profile because Z.L Smith talks about this place in the profile, and it is where people would go to watch Bessie Smith perform. 

I could relate to this profile as well because Smith states only boys stay with her. My best friend in high school had a grandma originally from Alabama and her views of boys being less disturbance and that it is a mans world. I can remember her grandma talking about how the men are more important in society than women, and that men are to be seen has the highest member of any family. She would always take my friends brother's side over her own. Also she would rather listen to what the boys had to say over her own daughters and granddaughters. It reminded me just of grandma "Doe Doe".