WORCESTER, Mass.  - Each Friday, Spectrum News 1 shares significant stories of Black Americans from our area.

In the video above, the Worcester Historical Museum's Community Engagement Director David Conner tells us about Patricia Rainey, a world-famous singer who eventually came to be a social worker in Worcester.

Here's what Conner had to say about Patricia Rainey:" She is sort of a Boston socialite, she becomes an International star. She's interesting not only because she's beautiful, because she's talented, all of those things, but her history is really interesting. She talks about as a child struggling with identity. She's of the upper echelon, so she is sent to a summer camp by her parents for young wealthy Black girls and they make her bleach her skin."

Conner continues, "Throughout her life and her career, she meets this worldwide fame. She becomes a drug addict and in 1977 she comes to Worcester to actually just get her taxes done by one of her cousins. So she meets her cousin who was involved with Prospect House. She becomes a member of Prospect House and also an employee. She stays in Worcester and she dedicates the rest of her life to serving people which is the mission of Prospect House. So it's just a really fascinating story about how somebody can live extremes in life."