Did Ella Fitzgerald face any discrimination?

Absolutely! As an African-American who lived before, after, and during the Civil Rights Movement, he experienced discrimination most everywhere he went. For example, St. Louis, MO, 1931: In St. Louis, Missouri, Duke and his band were scheduled to perform for a live radio broadcast, and needed to get to the sixteenth floor of the building to enter the studio. In order to ascend to the studio, Duke and the band needed to use the elevator, and when they tried to use the white elevator, were refused service by the operator. They were forced to use the freight elevator. (i'm writing a research paper on this stuff, so that's why it sounds kinda scholarly...) White House, President Hoover. Duke wanted to schedule a meeting with him, but was denied. "African American press accused President Hoover of being afraid to be photographed with African Americans." Hasse, p. 151