User:Zoeydowns/sandbox

Early Life
Born Ernestine Epps. McClendon was born on August 17, 1918, in Norfolk, Virginia. She married George Wiltshire and adopted their daughter Phyllis. It is unknown how she came to use the last name, McClendon.

Education
McClendon studied acting at Virginia State College from 1935-1936.

Career
McClendon launched an acting career in the 1950s and landed roles in plays such as A Raisin in the Sun and Simply Heavenly. Eventually, she began to push for advertisement agencies to use black actors in commercials in 1960. This activism led to her being hired by Lillian Arnold for the purpose of drawing black talent to her agency. McClendon went on to manage actors of all races for both Arnold’s agency and her own. For much of the sixties, McClendon was a high-profile advocate for black actors by working to get them roles in various ventures such as talk shows and commercials.

McClendon's first tv role was, "Clementine" on No Time For Comedy.

McClendon's first comedy appearance was at The Apollo Theater (Harlem) with her husband and his partner Pigmeat Markham.

In the 1960s McClendon started a one-woman letter-writing campaign to both acting agencies and product manufacturers demanding that they hire Black people for commercials. Prior to this, there was an unofficial ban on hiring Black people for commercials.

McClendon created McClendon Enterprises in 1963. She was the first black woman to become a talent agent and the first agent for black talent. McClendon pushed the movement to get the television industry to cancel its ban on hiring black talent in commercials.

In 1971 McClendon suffered an injury in a car accident that left her with a metal rod in her leg and a lot of pain. NorthEast weather exacerbates the pain so, she moved to California and opens a West Coast office of her business

Death
McClendon died on September 23, 1991, at the age of 77.