Gertrude Jeannette has never shied away from blazing new trails. In 1935, she became the first woman in New York City licensed to drive a motor-cycle. In 1942, when wartime service claimed many of the city's cabdrivers, she was the first woman licensed to drive a cab. Her most enduring contribution has been as a pioneer of African American theater. Her acting career spanned seventy years and included roles in such Broadway productions as The Skin of Our Teeth (1975), Amen Corner (1965),and The Great White Hope (1968). Jeannette also wrote, directed, and produced plays, and in the mid-1960s and 1970s, she appeared in films, including Shaft (1971) and Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), In 1979 Jeannette founded the still-thriving HADLEY Players with the goal of developing theatrical talent and enriching the cultural life of Harlem. She was recognized as a “living legend” at the National Black Theater Festival in 1991. --NPGThe Arkansas Encyclopedia has this image of Gertrude Jeanette's Taxi Permit from the 1940s.
In the following video Gertrude Jeannette tells about her experience as a NY Cab Driver:
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