When Hazel James won the National Magazine Exchange Strike it Rich contest in June, it wasn’t the 2.1 million dollars that surprised many of the observers, it was Hazel herself.  Hazel James was the first African American employee at an assembly plant on Roosevelt Island in the 1960′s.  Her hiring made way for other African Americans to be hired as well.  The National Magazine Exchange contest win is a great way to celebrate a lesser known historical figure.  Yes, she may not be known outside her Hempstead community, Hazel James now 77 should be remembered as breaking through the race barriers of her youth.