Beautiful Chocolate/Brown/Dark-skinned Queens!
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Rutina Wesley is known for the character Tara Thorton, on the gritty Southern vampire drama, True Blood (2008). She was born in the city most renowned for glitz and glamour, Las Vegas, Nevada and was exposed to the arts at a very early age; in fact entertainment runs through her veins. Her father, Ivery Wheeler, is a noted tap dancer while her mother, Cassandra Wesley, performed on the Vegas strip as a showgirl. Rutina studied dance for years then earned an undergraduate degree in Theatre Performance from the University of Evansville in Indiana. She had the good fortune to be accepted by the acclaimed Julliard School. During Rutina's stint at Julliard, she was fortunate enough to spend a summer at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Fortune was with Rutina again when one of her Julliard classmates, Nelsan Ellis, reconnected with her when he became her co-star on True Blood (2008).
After leaving Julliard, Rutina was cast in the Broadway production of a David Hare play, "The Vertical Hour" opposite Bill Nighy. Rutina followed "The Vertical Hour" with an appearance in the Public Theater production, "In Darfur". Her small role in the hit movie, Hitch (2005), was cut from the completed film but that did not deter her from pursuing her dream. She made another big-screen appearance, this time in the dance melodrama How She Move (2007). She also guest starred on the hit television show Numb3rs (2005); however, her break came when she signed onto the HBO production, True Blood (2008).
True Blood (2008) is adapted from the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire literary series by Charlaine Harris and conceived for the small screen by Alan Ball of American Beauty (1999) and Six Feet Under (2001). Rutina's portrayal of Tara Thornton, a character whose caustic tongue and tough manner conceal her vulnerability, helped make True Blood (2008) a cult hit. The success of True Blood (2008) shocked naysayers when the vampire soap opera became a favorite of both critics and audiences alike. We'll be seeing more of Rutina in 2010 when True Blood (2008) returns for its third season.I love this lady's skin complexion. I cannot take my eyes off of her. I love this picture of her too. I hope she does not change this picture perfect picture of her.- Actress
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Naomi Campbell was born on 22 May 1970 in Streatham, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), I Feel Pretty (2018) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995).I wanted to put Naomi Campbell as number one, but I wanted to give the title of beautiful Black woman to someone I have not seen before.- Actress
- Producer
Loren Lott is a California girl from San Diego. At a young age Loren's family knew she would entertain because she would line up stuffed animals, toys and her twin brother, at the bottom of her tree house and give grand performances. Loren dreamed of entertaining, but her mother, Sharian Lott, told her at age 7 she wouldn't be able to go to Knott's Berry Farm if she were famous so Loren decided to pursue other things, but Sharian did tell Loren that at 13 she could ask her again. To Sharian's surprise when Loren turned 13 the only gift she wanted was a subscription to backstage.com so she could start submitting herself for auditions and Sharian accepted. After sending hundreds of bold messages to agents Loren finally got one in Hollywood along with a manager a month later. After pursuing her dreams in California for several years, Loren moved to Atlanta where she received a BA in Mass Media Arts with a concentration in radio/TV/film from Clark Atlanta University. Loren continued acting while in Atlanta appearing live in Shrek the Musical at the Alliance Theatre and on several Television shows including Greenleaf, The Game, Tales, Fatal Attraction, Powers, a feature film called Tag, and several independent projects. While in Atlanta Loren also got cast for season 14 of American idol where she made it to Top 16! After American Idol Loren started her higher theatre career, landing the role of Gladys Night in Motown the Musical understudying Diana Ross, in the National tour as well as the Broadway company in New York. After taking a year off Broadway Loren returned when she booked the job of a swing in Once On This Island. Loren then appeared live as CeCe Winans in Born For This the Musical in Boston making her leading lady debut before returning to Once of this Island two months later, where she then got bumped up temporarily to star in Once On This Island as Timoune. Aside from professional acting Loren enjoys making internet content and has managed create and collaborate several videos that have racked up millions of views across her social media platforms. Loren considers herself very blessed to be continuously working and gaining support. She adores her family and is grateful for all of the sacrifices they have made for her dreams. Loren's ultimate goal is to be a Disney Princess and leave a legacy of inspiring the next generation, as well as to become a Superhero. Loren's dream is to inspire people to Love God and love their neighbor as they love themselves. @LorenSharice on Instagram/twitter , www.Facebook.com/LorenShariceThis is the beautiful young lady who sing beautifully well during the American Idol audition on February 11, 2015. She sung Sky Fall, which was brilliantly sung by Adele. However, I like how she made that song into her own, she owned that song. No disrespect to Adele, I actually prefer Loren Lott version over Adele's Skyfall version, which is much how I like this up and coming star as a singer. I wish she could have sung the entire song because a minute of this song was not long enough. I hope she makes it to the end in American Idol.- Actress
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Logan Browning was born on 9 June 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Perfection (2018), Bratz (2007) and Powers (2015).- Actress
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Tika Sumpter was born in New York and graduated from Marymount Manhattan College. Sumpter began her career as model, before she landed the role of "Layla Williamson" in ABC's daytime soap opera, One Life to Live (1968) (2005-2010, 2011).
After she left the soap, Sumpter won a recurring role in the CW series, Gossip Girl (2007), and appeared in the BET sitcom, The Game (2006). After supporting roles in the films, Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming (2010), Salt (2010), What's Your Number? (2011) and Think Like a Man (2012), she was cast alongside Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston in the 2012 musical film, Sparkle (2012). In 2013, she was cast as vixen "Candace Young" in the OWN drama series, The Haves and the Have Nots (2013).- Producer
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Omarosa Manigault Newman was born on 5 February 1974 in Youngstown, Ohio, USA. She is a producer and actress, known for Tiger Run: The Untold Story (2024), HBCU Pro Day the Prime Effect and Foundling: The Untold Story. She has been married to John Allen Newman since 8 April 2017. She was previously married to Aaron H. Stallworth.- Producer
- Actress
Iman was born on 25 July 1955 in Mogadishu, Somalia. She is a producer and actress, known for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), L.A. Story (1991) and No Way Out (1987). She was previously married to David Bowie, Spencer Haywood and Hassan ?.She was beautiful back in the 80s and 90s; however, she still looks pretty today at 60 years old.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Widely recognized for her work on the Emmy-winning, late night sketch comedy series MADtv Mad TV (1995) Daniele grew up doing theater in Minneapolis. She earned her SAG card shooting a commercial at Paisley Park. Years later she would be called on stage to dance with Prince during two concert tours, bringing the Minneapolis connection full circle. While an undergraduate at Northwestern University she landed a spot in The Mee-Ow Show, the premiere sketch comedy and improv group on campus. She moved to Los Angeles where she studied at Howard Fine Studios and EDGE Performing Arts Center. She went on to star in three series regular roles on broadcast network television series - two in prime time - while a member of the Groundlings Sunday Company and the Groundlings Main Company. She continued her run as a character actor with a recurring role as Super President Kickbutt on Kids' Choice Award winner "The Thundermans"The Thundermans (2013) on Nickelodeon, making memorable guest appearances on shows such as "Key & Peele" Key and Peele (2012) and "2 Broke Girl$." 2 Broke Girls (2011) Daniele broke into the world of animation singing a track and voicing characters on "BoJack Horseman," BoJack Horseman (2014) "American Dad" American Dad! (2005) and "Mike Tyson Mysteries." Mike Tyson Mysteries (2014) Active on the small theater and cabaret scene in Los Angeles, she has performed at the Hollywood Fringe Festival and the Cavern Club Celebrity Theater. As an improviser in the cast of the The Black Version Show, (featured in Rolling Stone's 2013 Hot List issue) she has performed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Toronto and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.- Actress
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Andi was born in Stratford, East London and attended Sarah Bonnell Comprehensive School. She studied drama at Barking College of Technology where peers included Razaaq Adoti (Amistad (1997), Black Hawk Down (2001)), Sarah Webb, lead singer of acid jazz group D Influence and Idris Elba (Pacific Rim (2013), The Wire (2002)).
She later went on to study TV production at Ravensbourne College of Design after which she took several roles at TV post production companies. Andi also worked in TV broadcasting at Walt Disney Television International and was the technical ops manager at new media start up, Where-It's-At. After working as a post production supervisor on ITV soap Night & Day (2001) Andi retrained as an actor at The Academy Drama School in London. She made her stage debut in 2003 and went on to appear at several renowned fringe and off-West End venues including The Arts Theatre, Riverside Studios, Kings Head and Liverpool Everyman.
2005 saw her "powerful" (Time Out) performance in Medea and as jazz singer, Dolly Rathebe in Who Killed Mr Drum? Andi ended the year with a No. 1 tour of Dael Orlandersmith's Pulitzer nominated play, Yellowman which received critical praise.
Andi's TV debut was in long-running BBC soap EastEnders (1985).
In 2007 Andi began performing stand up comedy and in July of that year won the coveted Funny Women award at London's Comedy Store. She went on to be runner up at Hackney Empire New Act of The Year and Leicester Mercury Comedian of The Year. This launched a successful television career which saw Andi make regular appearances on popular panel shows including Mock the Week (2005) and Never Mind the Buzzcocks (1996). She has also made two appearances on Jack Dee Live at the Apollo (2004) as well as three sell out tours of her solo stand up shows, All The Single Ladies and Afroblighty.
She performed live, in front of a 15,000 strong audience at London's O2 arena for the Channel 4 Great Ormond Street Comedy Gala.
She made her feature debut in Swinging with the Finkels (2011) opposite Sherlock (2010) and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) star Martin Freeman.
Andi is an accomplished writer (The One Lenny (2011) and Stand Up for the Week (2010) (in which she also appeared). Andi is also developing her own film and television projects.
She has written for Fox US and BBC TV and Radio and for several newspapers including The Times and The I and is a regular blogger.
In 2014 Andi wrote and produced Brit.i.am (2014), a crowd-sourced short film about Britishness which went on to win three awards and was officially selected for ten festivals. She recently completed her second short, The Grid (2015), a sci thriller starring newcomer Stony Blyden and Eastenders alumni Troy Titus-Adams.- Actress
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Brandy Norwood is an African-American singer-songwriter and actress from McComb, Mississippi. She is known for her roles in Moesha, Osmosis Jones and Cinderella. She has released many R&B albums and singles since the 1990s. She is known as "The Vocal Bible". She gave birth to a daughter named Sy'rai Iman Smith in June 2002.- Actress
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Taral Hicks (born on 21, September 1974 in Queens, New York) is an African American R&B singer and actress, sister of singer D'Atra Hicks.
She began her film career with a role alongside Robert De Niro in the 1993 film "A Bronx Tale." Her subsequent film roles were small, 1995's "Just Cause" with Sean Connery and Laurence Fishburne, 1996's "Educating Matt Waters" and "The Preacher's Wife" with Whitney Houston. It wasn't until 1997 in the HBO original film "Subway Stories" that audiences began to take notice. As the "Woman with Flowers" who sang to her mother on the payphone, her performance was widely deemed to be one of the best in the film.
In 1997, Hicks signed a deal with Motown Records and released an album entitled "This Time." The single "Ooh, Ooh Baby," produced and written by, and featuring Missy Elliott, charted on the Billboard R&B singles chart. However, the lead single intended to debut her singing career was "Distant Lover," an uptempo track produced by Teddy Riley. The album didn't take off until the second single, "Silly," a remake of the classic R&B hit by Deniece Williams was released. Featuring a black-and-white video directed by Hype Williams, the single charted well on the R&B chart. After collaborating on the video for "Silly," Hype Williams cast Hicks in his directorial film debut (and in her largest role to date), 1998's "Belly" as Kisha, DMX's girlfriend. The video for "Silly" appeared in one of the film's scenes.
Following the film's release in 1998, Hicks was absent from film and music until 2000, when she appeared on screen in the short film "Are You Cinderella?" with actor Wood Harris. Two television guest roles followed: 2002's "100 Centre Street" in the episode titled "Fathers", and in a 2003 episode of "Soul Food: The Series" titled "The New Math".
Her later film roles were in independent films such as 2005's "The Salon," with Vivica A. Fox, Dondre Whitfield and Darrin Henson, 2006's "Forbidden Fruits" with Ella Joyce, Fredro Starr and R&B singer Keith Sweat, 2007's "Humenetomy," and 2008's "Ex$pendable."- Actress
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Phyllis Yvonne Stickney is the second child born to Felix and Belle. Phyllis Yvonne Stickney was one of the first comedians of color to perform at the Juste Pour Rire Comedy Festival in Montreal. Canada. She performed with the late John Candy as well as being introduced at the festival by Ed Begley Jr. to perform her stand up comedy. Her stand-up performance at the world famous Apollo Theater was one of the selling points to sell the now popular Showtime at the Apollo to the network. Ms. Stickney is also a motivational speaker and published author and poet. She was the first female to ever perform with The Last Poets on the soundtrack of Panther (1995). Essence Magazine's 25th Anniversary Issue named her as one of the 200 African American women who has changed the world. Ms. Stickney has created and designed a line of clothing for every woman called Butterbaby scheduled be launched in Spring/Summer of 2004. Ms Stickney is the Founder/Executive Director for a non-profit community based organization called Alternative Careers in the Arts. She is also an accomplished stage performer and has received two AUDELCO Awards for Excellence in Black Theater. She was also the writer/Creative Consultant on the ABC short lived series New Attitude a Castle Rock production.- Actress
- Producer
Jill Marie Jones was born on 4 January 1975 in Dallas, Texas, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Girlfriends (2000), Drool (2009) and Sleepy Hollow (2013).- Actress
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2021 Grammy winner, Ledisi is a thirteen time Grammy nominated powerhouse vocalist with a career spanning almost two decades. She's garnered three Soul Train Music awards, an NAACP Theater Award and nine NAACP Image Award nominations. Most recently, Ledisi received two LA Alliance Ovation Award nominations one for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
Born in New Orleans and raised in Oakland, CA, , Ledisi has wowed fans with her unparalleled vocals ever since she burst onto the scene. She has truly earned a place in the pantheon of the greatest singers of her generation. Ledisi is a favorite of The Obamas and a long list of icons including the late-Prince, Patti LaBelle, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and so many more. She has headlined six nationally sold-out tours, performed alongside Dave Matthews, Kelly Clarkson, Vince Gill and Maxwell as well as jazz greats Herbie Hancock and Patti Austin.
No stranger to the film and television world, Ledisi landed her first feature, singing in the George Clooney directed film Leatherheads. In 2015 she landed a role in the Oscar-nominated movie, Selma, portraying the great Mahalia Jackson and had a notable performance in Gabourney Sidibe's Shatterbox Anthology film, "The Tale Of Four". Ledisi secured her first major television role , playing the legendary Patti LaBelle on the hit BET series American Soul and made her second appearance on the hit FX hit series POSE.
Ledisi has also been active in the theater, making her debut as a Radio and Washing Machine understudy on Broadway appearing in Tony Kushner's Caroline or Change directed by George C. Wolfe. She helped workshop the Tony Award winning musical, The Color Purple and then began her recording career signing a deal with Verve/Universal Music Group. Ledisi returned to theatre in 2019 as The Ancestor, in the critically acclaimed off Broadway musical, Witness Uganda by Griffith Matthews and Matt Gould, the role for which she received the LA Alliance Ovation Award nomination. Also in 2019, she co-wrote and co-produced her one woman show, "The Legend of Little Girl Blue," along with her husband Ron T. Young. The show premiered at the Wallis Theatre in Beverly Hills to rave reviews with 19-sold out shows. Ledisi also collaborated with her husband producing her first PBS Special "Ledisi Sings Nina" under their film company Figstreet Films.
Ledisi is extremely passionate about being an advocate for the Arts. Lobbying for young musicians and protecting the rights of creatives. She is an author, releasing her first book Better Than Alright: Finding Peace, Love and Power , a collaboration with Essence Magazine. Her latest book, Don't Ever Lose Your Walk: How to Embrace Your Journey is released through her own Chinweya Publishing Company.
Utilizing and developing her versatile skills as a singer/ songwriter, music producer, author, playwright, film producer and now CEO of her record label Listen Back Entertainment/BMG.Ledisi is excited about launching several exciting projects in the near future. When you speak of women in entertainment Ledisi is on her way to becoming a crucial part of that conversation. "I am finally realizing my limitless potential as a creative and also now as a businesswoman."- Actress
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She graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1971. While a student at Spelman (an all-female institution), she met Samuel L. Jackson, who was a student at Morehouse College (the all-male institution affiliated with Spelman), who would later become her husband. She and Jackson have one daughter named Zoe.- Editorial Department
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Deborah Roberts was born on 20 September 1960 in Perry, Georgia, USA. She is an actress, known for The Wayne & Shuster Comedy Special (1967), One from the Heart (1981) and The Man Who Loved Women (1983). She has been married to Al Roker since 16 September 1995. They have two children.- Music Artist
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Grace Jones was born on May 19, 1948 in Spanish Town, St Catherine, Jamaica to Marjorie Jones (née Williams) and Reverend Robert W. Jones. When she was 12 she moved to Syracuse, New York, joining her family who had already moved there. She studied acting at Syracuse University and appeared in her first musical; halfway through college, she was approached by a drama professor who proposed that she work with him in a play he was putting on in Philadelphia, she accepted.
Jones later moved to New York City and signed on as a model with Wilhelmina Models, but when her looks weren't successfully received, she moved to Paris, France, where her androgynous, bold, dark-skinned appearance was so highly visible, she began to model for Yves Saint-Laurent, Claude Montana, Kenzo Takada, Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Hans Feurer, and Azzedine Alaïa, and she appeared on the covers of "Elle", "Vogue", and "Der Stern."
Disillusioned with modeling, and since she always wanted to be an actress, she began her movie career playing small parts, her first being in the blaxploitation flick Gordon's War (1973) followed by an uncomfortable cameo in the unwatchable French sex comedy Let's Make a Dirty Movie (1976). It wasn't until the the '80s that Jones' on-screen career really soared, when she appeared in three supporting roles: Zula, the amazonian warrior in the American sword and sorcery/adventure film Conan the Destroyer (1984); May Day, the secondary antagonist in the 14th James Bond film A View to a Kill (1985); and Katrina, a bloodthirsty Egyptian vampire queen in the comedy horror Vamp (1986). Leaving audiences with only the resonance of unique and tantalizing movie performances, Jones hasn't acted in a feature film since the '90s.
In recent years, Jones's primary focus is sharing the vulnerability behind her larger-than-life persona. Jones and director Sophie Fiennes released the documentary Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (2017). According to Fiennes, the documentary is not a retelling of what can easily be found in books and magazines, but an intimate portrait of Jones in recent years as she returns to Jamaica, the country of her birth and childhood, for a family reunion.- Actress
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Vanessa Estelle Williams (Actress, Singer, Writer, Director) born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, is a talented force that came to Hollywood in the 90's with passion purpose and staying power. This highly sought-after creative artist wrapped "A Rich Christmas" a feature film for BET this past December 2020 and most recently completed the film "Christmas Family Reunion" with The Ninth House production company.
Vanessa stars in Sidra Smith's six-part miniseries "A Luv Tale" coming soon to the Essence Magazine digital platform. Off the coast of East Africa in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Vanessa jetted to luscious Mauritius to shoot the indie comedy feature "Singleholic" opposite Erica Ash, Rotimi, Stephen Bishop and Tyson Beckford. Coming soon Vanessa will reprise her role as Anna Marie in the Candyman sequel "Say My Name," directed by Nia DaCosta, written and produced by Jordan Peele.
Williams made her film debut playing as the gun toting head of security "Keisha" in the urban classic film "New Jack City." Other film credits include "Thriller" streaming now on Netflix, "Raising Izzie, Imagine That", "Like Mike," "Punks, Mother," "Candyman."
Williams earned an Emmy Nomination for her work in the Showtime original film "Our America." After six consecutive nominations in the category Vanessa won the 2003 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her brilliant portrayal of Maxine Chadway in the hit Showtime series "Soul Food." Her star turn in "Raising Izzie" earned GMCTV its highest world premiere television rating and received a 2013 NAACP Image Award nomination for best Television Movie or Mini-Series. Television credits include NBC's long running daytime soap "Days of Our Lives," Freeform network's "Famous in Love." "The Flash, Ward of the State, the Bay series, "Sugar Mommas," "Lincoln Heights," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Knight Riders," "Flirting with Forty," "Ice Spiders," "Cold Case," "Soul Food" TV series (5 seasons), "Our America," "The Steve Harvey Show," "Chicago Hope," "Murder One," "Living Single," "NYPD Blue," "Melrose Place," "The Cosby Show" and "Law & Order."
Vanessa debuted on Broadway in Lincoln Center Theatre's production of "Sarafina." In 2012 Ms. Williams garnered rave reviews for her role as Esther in the critically acclaimed production of Lynn Nottage's "Intimate Apparel" at the Pasadena Playhouse. Her other Broadway and theatre credits include "Mule Bone," "Death and the Kings Horseman" and regional productions of "The Vagina Monologues, Issues, Abyssinia" and a European tour of the musical "HAIR."
An excerpt from her book "Shine," published in the June 2004 Essence Magazine became the basis for her solo show "Feet On the Ceiling!" a coming-of-age story. "Feet On the Ceiling" premiered at the "National Black Theatre Festival" in 2011 and plays regular engagements in cities and colleges throughout the US and the Caribbean.
Serving as Vice Chair on the Executive Board of Directors of The Black Aids Institute, Williams is also Chair of BAI's Hollywood Task Force on Aids. Recruiting and directing her colleagues in a series of Celebrity PSAs on HIV Awareness / AIDS Prevention.
An internationally recognized star, Williams' global brand appeal is authentic, energetic, and thoroughly relatable. An artist and mother of two creatively talented boys, Omar and Haile Wiseman, Vanessa blends passion and youthful exuberance with timeless charm and soulfulness that deeply connects with people. She is a talent audiences love, trust and admire.- Music Artist
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Lauryn Hill, a native of South Orange, New Jersey, first came to attention with the multi-talented Fugees. Their first album, "Blunted On Reality", went virtually unnoticed by the public; their real breakthrough came with the sophomore album, "The Score", which featured "Killing Me Softly". That album stills remains the worldwide top-selling rap album of all time (17 million units shipped). She earned two Grammys (Best Rap Album and Best R&B Performance by a duo or group) in 1996 and gave birth to Zion (alleged father is Bob Marley's son) before releasing her self-written and self-produced solo album, "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill", which topped Billboard charts the moment it came out.- Actress
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Remy Ma was born on 30 May 1980 in South Bronx, The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Hustlers (2019), Take the Lead (2006) and Queens (2021). She has been married to Papoose since 17 December 2015. They have one child.- Producer
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Oprah Gail Winfrey , often known simply as Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she was the richest African-American of the 20th century, was once the world's only black billionaire, and the greatest black philanthropist in U.S. history. By 2007, she was sometimes ranked as the most influential woman in the world- Actress
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Sheryl Underwood was born on 28 October 1963 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Bulworth (1998), I Got the Hook Up (1998) and The Odd Couple (2015). She was previously married to Michael.- Actress
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Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem, New York City, where she was raised by her devoutly religious parents, who had come from the Caribbean island of Nevis. Her mother Theodosia was a domestic worker and her her father William was a carpenter and painter. Tyson was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony Magazine, and with her stunning looks she quickly rose to the top of the modeling industry. In 1957 she began acting in Off-Broadway productions. She had small roles in feature films before she was cast as Portia in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968). Four years later, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her sensational performance in the critically-acclaimed film Sounder (1972). In 1974, she went on to portray a 110-year-old former slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), which earned her two Emmy Awards. She also appeared in the television miniseries Roots (1977), King (1978), and A Woman Called Moses (1978). While Cicely has not appeared steadily onscreen because of her loyalty to solely portraying strong, positive images of Black women, she is definitely one of the most talented, beautiful actresses who ever graced stage or screen.- Music Artist
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Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, Hip-hop emcee and R&B songwriter Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott has become one of the most esteemed figures in contemporary American music, providing material for artists including MC Lyte, Adina Howard, and Jodeci, as well as working as an arranger, producer, talent scout, and record executive. She first performed as part of a neighborhood singing group, Sista, which was signed by DeVante DeGrate from Jodeci in 1992 to Capitol/EMI Records. She was already writing with her long-time collaborator Timbaland, aka Timbaland, and with Sista's career terminally stalled since DeVante would not release any of its recordings, she concentrated on songwriting and production.
Her distinctive hee-haw rhyme on Gina Thompson's "The Things You Do" brought her wider exposure and several offers from record companies. Fiercely independent and ambitious, she signed to Elektra Records as a solo artist on the understanding that they would subsidize her own label, which became the Gold Mind. In 1997, she launched her solo career with the album "Supa Dupa Fly" and its lead single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)".
The well-connected singer was provided with immediate exposure for the song via rotation play of its Hype Williams-directed video on MTV. Co-produced with long-time collaborator Timbaland and producer DJ Magic, the album received excellent reviews, although she was reluctant to commit herself fully to a career as a performer because she didn't want to get caught up and be an artist always on the go. She felt that it was hard to get into the studio once you commit to that kind of venture. The album also featured cameo appearances from Aaliyah and Busta Rhymes, for whom she has written songs. Despite her growing reputation and success, Elliott remained based in her hometown in Virginia.
In September 1998, she collaborated with Mel B from the Spice Girls on the one-off single "I Want You Back," which debuted at number 1 in the UK chart. Further writing and remixing work for Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson followed, although Elliott found time in her busy schedule to release her excellent sophomore album, "Da Real World," in July 1999. Incredibly, Elliott and Timbaland managed to surpass this with the follow-up "Miss E ... So Addictive," a stunning compendium of contemporary hip-hop and dance beats, urban ballads, and left-field samples that was instantly hailed as one of the finest albums of the new millennium.- Actress
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Yolanda Adams was born on 27 August 1961 in Houston, Texas, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for The Sum of All Fears (2002), Honey (2003) and Ride Along 2 (2016). She was previously married to Timothy Crawford Jr. and Troy Mason.- Actress
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Anna Maria Horsford was born and raised in Harlem, New York. Her parents immigrated to the United States from the island nation Antigua & Barbuda, in the West Indies (then a British colony), during the 1940s. Anna grew up not really feeling American but not West Indian either, just somewhere in between. However, she vacationed in the Caribbean, and this stoked her desire to see the world. After high school she went to Stockholm, Sweden, to attend college.
Her mother always knew Anna would be something big because she was very talkative, and kept Anna enrolled in community centers, after-school programs, church events, etc. She auditioned for the New York High School of Performing Arts and was accepted. As she recollects, "My first big break came when I auditioned at the New York Shakespeare Festival."
Working in many different aspects of show business has allowed her to venture into areas other than acting, such as directing. She also has an Art Institute in upstate New York. Her father was a Garveyite (following the "back-to-Africa" teachings of Marcus Garvey), journeyed to Africa and lived in Liberia for five years. As Anna said, "He clearly taught us to love being black and not be ashamed of being black. We are all warriors and have to work to do."- Actress
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Aunjanue Ellis was born in San Francisco, California. She graduated from the Brown University, and later attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
During her career, Ellis performed on Off-Broadway theater, appeared in many film, and had roles on television. In film, she is best known for her roles in "Men of Honor" (2000), "Undercover Brother" (2002), "Ray" (2004), and "The Help" (2011). On television, Ellis had her most significant role on the 2015 mini-series, "The Book of Negroes".- Music Department
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Angie Stone was born on 18 December 1961 in Columbia, South Carolina, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Hot Chick (2002), Ride Along (2014) and The Fighting Temptations (2003).- Actress
- Production Designer
Billie Suliat Baker was born to Nigerian parents Adisa Mukyle Bashua and Yetunde Margaret Solanke in Lagos Nigeria. At age 13, she moved to the United Kingdom. After attending Barking and Dagenham College where she acquired a BTech in Performing Arts, She went on to graduate from Central School of Speech and Drama in 1998 with a B.A Honors degree in Acting. Some of her credits include UK hospital drama Hoby City, BFTA and IFTA award nominated TV series Murphy's Law, and The Royal National Theatre's production of 'A Street Car Named Desire' starring Glenn Close and directed by Sir Trevor Nunn. Billie is also an active Committee member of the annual Women's International Film and Arts Festival 'WIFF'.- Actress
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Akosua Busia was born on 30 December 1966 in Accra, Ghana. She is an actress and director, known for The Color Purple (1985), Tears of the Sun (2003) and Low Blow (1986). She was previously married to John Singleton.- Actress
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Serena Williams is one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. She earned her first Grand Slam singles title at the U.S. Open in 1999, and won a string of five Grand Slam singles title wins: the 2002 French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open titles and the 2003 Australian Open and her second Wimbledon title in 2003, all by defeating her older sister, Venus Williams in the finals. To date, she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time. Serena has appeared in guest roles on The Simpsons (1989) and My Wife and Kids (2000). She was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1981, to Richard and Oracene Williams. The youngest of five girls, Serena grew up with Venus and older sisters Lyndrea, Isha & Yetunde. She and sister Venus were coached in tennis from an early age by their father, Richard.- Actress
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Spencer is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, which she claims is the proverbial buckle of the Bible belt. She's the sixth of seven siblings and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. A "closet" lover of acting, this practical Alabamian knew that she'd someday work in the film industry, but never dreamed it would be in front of the camera. In 1995, acclaimed director Joel Schumacher changed all that by giving her a small part opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit film A Time to Kill, and Spencer was on her way. In 1996, she teamed up with Bullock again in Bullock's directorial debut of Making Sandwiches, a short film that premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
Spencer made her stage debut in Los Angeles and originated the role of "LaSonia" (pronounced lasagna) in famed writer/director Del Shore's, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, starring opposite veteran actors Beth Grant, Dale Dickey and David Steen (2003). The play garnered Spencer and her fellow cast mates critical acclaim and a bevy of awards. Since then, Spencer has continued to see success as an actor in both film and television, working alongside Hollywood's elite. In February 2009, she was lauded by Los Angeles Times publication: The Envelope, for her brief but memorable performance in the Will Smith drama Seven Pounds.- Actress
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Viola Davis is a critically revered actress of film, television, and theater and has won rave reviews for her multitude of substantial and intriguingly diverse roles. Audiences across the United States and internationally have admired her for her work- including her celebrated, Oscar-nominated performances in The Help (2011), Doubt (2008), and her Oscar winning performance in Fences (2016). In 2015, Davis won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her work in ABC's How To Get Away With Murder, making her the first black woman in history to take home the award. In addition to acting, Viola currently produces alongside her husband and producing partner, Julius Tennon, through their JuVee Productions banner. Together they have produced award-garnering productions across theater, television, and film.- Actress
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Tichina Arnold was born on 28 June 1969 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Everybody Hates Chris (2005) and Martin (1992). She was previously married to Rico Hines and Lamon Brewster.- Actress
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Equally at home on stage and on screen, award-winning actress Loretta Devine has created some of the most memorable roles in theatre, film and television.
Devine first captured national attention in the role of Lorrell, one of the three original "Dreamgirls" in Michael Bennett's classic award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. She followed that performance with a fiery portrayal of Lillian in Bob Fosse's critically acclaimed stage production "Big Deal." Subsequent work in George C. Wolfe's "Colored Museum" and "Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grill," cemented Devine's status as one of the most talented and versatile stage actresses.
Film roles soon followed including a poignant turn as a single mother opposite Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett and Gregory Hines in Waiting to Exhale (1995) which earned Devine her first NAACP Image Award for 'Best Supporting Actress.' Devine also won an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Penny Marshall's The Preacher's Wife (1996). Devine received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress for her work in "Women Thou Art Loosed." Devine was featured in the Academy Award-winning film "Crash" and the hit movie of "Dreamgirls." Some of her additional film credits include appearances in the successful "Urban Legend" franchise, "I Am Sam" opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Penn, "Kingdom Come," "What Women Want," "Punks," "Hoodlums," "Down in the Delta" and "Stanley and Iris."
Devine's more recent film credits include co-starring roles in "This Christmas" and "First Sunday" both of which opened Number 1 at the box office. Devine voiced the character of "Delta" in Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." She appeared with Chris Rock in Sony Screen Gems remake of "Death at a Funeral" and "Lottery Ticket" for Alcon/Warner Brothers. Devine portrayed "The Woman in Green" in Tyler Perry's adaptation of Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls." In 2011, Devine starred in two leading roles in the film "Jumping the Broom" with Paula Patton, Laz Alonso and Angela Bassett and in the Tyler Perry directed film "Madea's Big Happy Family," both films earned top spots at the box office, respectively. Devine followed up her box office hits with a strong lineup of independent films including Robert Townsend's "In The Hive" which earned Devine a NAACP Image Award nomination for "Best Actress in a Motion Picture", "You're Not You" alongside Hilary Swank, James Franco's "The Sound and the Fury" and the Kristen Wiig dramedy, "Welcome to Me."
On television, Devine became a critical darling in her Emmy award-winning role as "Adele" on ABC's hit medical drama "Grey's Anatomy." Devine's credits include numerous series roles on shows such as "The Cosby Show" spin-off "A Different World," Eddie Murphy's stop-motion animated series "The PJs," David E Kelly's "Boston Public," ABC's "Eli Stone" and alongside Jennifer Love-Hewitt on Lifetime's "The Client List." She most recently starred on NBC's critically acclaimed sitcom "The Carmichael Show" and co-starred in the 3rd season of BET's "Being Mary Jane" as the titular character's main antagonist, "Cece." Devine continues to voice "Hallie the Hippo" on Disney Channel's Peabody Award-Winning animated series, "Doc McStuffins," and will next star in the Netflix family series, "FAMILY REUNION" which will feature an all-black cast and crew.
With a career spanning three decades, Devine has earned much praise and accolades for her work on both the big and small screen. For her work as "Adele" on "Grey's Anatomy," Devine earned both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, a Gracie Allen Award for "Outstanding Female Actor in a Featured Role," a nomination for "Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series" from the Critics' Choice Television Awards and a NAACP Image Award and a NAACP Image Award nomination. In total, Devine has won nine NAACP Image Awards and has received a record twenty-four nominations. Devine has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from both the Pan African Film Festival and the NAACP Theatre Awards and the Thespian Award from the LA Femme International Film Festival.
Devine graduated from the University of Houston and later received a Master of Fine Arts from Brandeis University. She also received a Doctorate of Humane Letters as well as a Distinguished Alumni Award from The University of Houston.
She currently resides in Los Angeles.- Actress
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Captivating, gifted, and sensational, Angela Bassett's presence has been felt in theaters and on stages and television screens throughout the world. Angela Evelyn Bassett was born on August 16, 1958 in New York City, to Betty Jane (Gilbert), a social worker, and Daniel Benjamin Bassett, a preacher's son. Bassett and her sister D'nette grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida with their mother. As a single mother, Betty stressed the importance of education for her children. With the assistance of an academic scholarship, Bassett matriculated into Yale University. In 1980, she received her B.A. in African-American studies from Yale University. In 1983, she earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Yale School of Drama. It was at Yale that Bassett met her husband, Courtney B. Vance, a 1986 graduate of the Drama School.
Bassett first appeared in small roles on The Cosby Show (1984) and Spenser: For Hire (1985), but it was not until 1990 that a spate of television roles brought her notice. Her breakthrough role, though, was playing Tina Turner, whom she had never seen perform before taking the role, in What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). Bassett's performance earned her an Academy Award nomination and a Golded Globe Award for Best Actress.- Actress
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Dawnn Lewis was born August 13, 1961. She is remembered mostly from her role as Jaleesa Vinson on A Different World (1987). Dawnn composed the theme song with Bill Cosby and Stu Gardner that was used for the series. She left the show in 1992 to join the cast of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992) as Robin Dumars. From 1995-1996, she continued a career in acting, doing mostly voice-overs, which included characters on Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994), Bruno the Kid (1996), and C-Bear and Jamal (1996). In 1998, she helped write the movie Black Jaq (1998). She continues to make guest appearances on various shows.- Actress
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Niecy Nash was born on 23 February 1970 in Palmdale, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Reno 911! (2003), Guess Who (2005) and Claws (2017). She has been married to Jessica Betts since 29 August 2020. She was previously married to Jay Tucker and Don Nash.- Actress
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Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose recently finished filming the lead role of the pilot episode Beast Mode (TBS / Macro), which is based on life of legendary boxing trainer Ann Wolfe. Anika is also serving as Co-Executive Producer.
In 2018, Anika starred in the title role of 'Carmen Jones' in John Doyle's production at the Classic Stage Company in NYC. She was also seen in the film Assassination Nation (dir. Sam Levinson) alongside Bill Skarsgard, Bella Thorne, Suki Waterhouse, Maud Apatow and Joel McHale, and the film Everything, Everything, based on the popular young adult novel by Nicola Yoon, opposite Amandla Stenberg.
Anika starred as the lead of the television series The Quad, which ran for two seasons on BET (2017-2018). Anika also starred in The History Channel's adaption of Roots as Kizzy (NAACP Image Award nom for Outstanding Actress).
Other television credits include the Starz series Power, CBS's The Good Wife, ABC's Private Practice, CBS's Elementary and FOX's The Simpsons; the A&E mini-series Stephen King's Bag of Bones opposite Pierce Brosnan; and starring in The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency for HBO opposite Jill Scott and directed by Anthony Minghella.
Anika's many film credits include: Dreamgirls, The Princess and The Frog (voice of Princess Tiana), A Day Late and a Dollar Short, Half of a Yellow Sun, Imperial Dreams, and For Colored Girls.
Anika has won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Caroline, or Change and has also starred in Broadway productions such as A Raisin in the Sun (Tony Award nomination and Outer Critics Circle nomination), and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
Additionally, Anika has received The Theater World Award, The Clarence Derwent Award, a Drama Desk nomination, the Los Angeles Critics' Circle Award, an Ovation Award, an Obie Award and four NAACP Image nominations, including the NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award for Theater.
Anika was the youngest performer to be honored as a Disney Legend when she received the honor in 2011.
March, 2019- Madge Sinclair was born Madge Dorita Walters on April 28, 1938 in Kingston, Jamaica, married young and had two sons. Madge worked as a teacher in Jamaica until she was 30. She left her two boys with their father and moved in 1968 to New York City to be an actress.
She began modeling and later acted with the New York Shakespearean Festival and at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre. In 1974, Madge made her film debut, playing Mrs. Scott in Conrack (1974). She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance as Bell Reynolds in the miniseries Roots (1977).
In 1982, shortly after joining the cast of Trapper John, M.D. (1979), Sinclair was diagnosed with leukemia. She continued to work, outliving the doctors' predictions by several years. On December 20, 1995, Madge Sinclair died at age 57 in Los Angeles, California, after a 13 year battle with leukemia. - Actress
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Sheryl Lee Ralph was born December 30, 1956 in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA. She is known for her roles in Moesha (1996), Its A Living (1980), and Instant Mom (2013). Her Career Began in the late 1970s. She has been Married to Vincent Hughes since July 30, 2005 a Pennsylvania state senator. She was previously married to Eric Maurice.- Actress
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A.J. Johnson was born on 3 September 1963 in Orange, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for House Party (1990), Baby Boy (2001) and Dying Young (1991).- Actress
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Alfre Woodard was born on November 8, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the youngest of three children of Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an interior designer. She was named by her godmother, who claimed she saw a vision of Alfre's name written out in gold letters. A former high school cheerleader and track star, she got the acting bug after being persuaded to audition for a school play by a nun at her school. She went on to study acting at Boston University and enjoyed a brief stint on Broadway before moving to Los Angeles, California. She got her first break in Remember My Name (1978) which also starred Jeff Goldblum. She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband, writer Roderick M. Spencer, and their two adopted children: Mavis and Duncan. She was named one of the Most Beautiful People in America by People Magazine.- Actress
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April Grace was born in Lakeland, Florida, USA. April is an actor and producer, known for Magnolia (1999), I Am Legend (2007) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).- Actress
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RaéVen Larrymore Kelly continues to make her celebrity count with a cause. RaéVen has had the fortune of performing in a wide range of high-quality projects for film and television: John Grisham's "A Time to Kill" as Tonya Hailey with Samuel L. Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, director Joel Schumacher; "What's Love Got To Do With It?" as young Tina Turner with Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, director Brian Gibson; "Ghosts of Mississippi" as Rena Evers with Whoopi Goldberg, James Woods, Alec Baldwin, director Rob Reiner; and "How to Make an American Quilt" as young Anna, a role shared with Maya Angelou's character, also starring Wynona Rider, Ann Bancroft, director Jocelyn Moorehouse; "Blossoms and Veils" as Em, with producers Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith and director Shonda Rhimes; "Underclassman" as Qweeshawn Washington, with Nick Cannon; "Tournament of Dreams" as Slick, also starring Debbie Allen, Carl Lewis, and Tony Todd, director Don Abernathy. A sample of her credentials for television and made for TV movies include stellar performances in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" recurring as Lisa, director Joss Whedon; "Freedom Song" as Dora Charles with Danny Glover, Vicellous Shannon, director Phil Alden Robinson; "Maximum Bob" as series regular Wanda Grace with Beau Bridges, director Barry Sonnenfeld; "Ditchdigger's Daughters" as Jeanette with Carl Lumbley, Victoria Dillard; guest starring on "Even Stevens;" "Any Day Now;" "City of Angels" as Savannah, director Reginald Hudlin; "Scrooge" as young Ebenita with Cicely Tyson; "Lily in Winter" as Louetta with Marla Gibbs, Natalie Cole, director Delbert Mann; and "America's Dream" as Laura with Wesley Snipes, Jasmine Guy, director Bill Duke.
RaéVen's theater accolades include the California premiere of Regina Taylor's "Crowns" as Yolanda, director Anthony Hainey; Sara Finney-Johnson's "Mazel Tov & Black Eyed Peas" as Maya, director Adleane Hunter; and Yolanda King's "Achieving the Dream" as Lead Vocalist.
RaéVen was born in Fairfax, Virginia. Although only 20, RaéVen has a distinguished career with a hallmark of earlier spectacular performances as series regular Adlaine Harper on the award-winning "I'll Fly Away" with Sam Waterston, Regina Taylor, producer/director David Chase, Ian Sander. Her works associated with "Touched By An Angel," guest-starring as Serena with Randy Travis, have been catalogued as a Christmas classic. RaéVen has also performed guest-starring roles on "E.R.," "Living Single," "Roseanne," "The Sentinel," "Roc," Maloney," "Sweet Justice" as Niara, granddaughter of Cicely Tyson's character, and others.
RaéVen is the recipient of many awards such as The Emerging Artist Award for her television and film works, Best Youth Actress TV Mini-Series/MOW/Special for "Lily in Winter," and Best Youth Actress in a Leading Role Television Series for "I'll Fly Away." RaéVen is a NAACP National Equity Theatre Award Nominee for Best Supporting Actress 2003 in "Achieving the Dream," Hollywood Reporter Youngstar Award Nominee for Best Actress in a Mini-Series 2000 for "Freedom Song," Hollywood Reporter Youngstar Award Nominee for Best Actress in a Drama Film 1997 for "A Time to Kill," NAACP Image Award Nominee for Best Youth Performer for "A Time to Kill" and "I'll Fly Away," and Youth In Film Award Nominee for Best Actress for "What's Love Got To Do With It?," "Sweet Justice," and "Lily in Winter."
RaéVen Larrymore Kelly's talent as a vocalist shouldn't be a surprise, since her voice has been musically recorded while acting and singing in "What's Love Got To Do With It?" at age 7. Since then she has recorded on "The Preacher's Wife" soundtrack and been in session with HB Barnum, George Duke, John Williams (film music composer), and many others. She has already performed at The Grand Ole Opry and performed for The Stellar Awards.
Her receipt of The 2006 Omni Award for Career Achievement and as Honorary Gala Chairperson celebrates, as noted above, the distinguished entertainment achievements of RaéVen Larrymore Kelly, in addition to her academics as a College National Dean's List student and active member of a State of California Honor Society and an International Honor Society; and her Community Service Support to Pediatric Aids Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.- Actress
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Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer was born on August 26, 1993 in Harvey, Illinois and raised in Robbins, Illinois to Sharon and Larry Palmer, both former actors. Palmer showed vocal promise as a five-year-old, when she belted out "Jesus Loves Me" in her church choir. A year later the singer-actress had a solo in her kindergarten play but, to her mom's dismay, the mike had not been adjusted to suit her daughter's height. Without missing a beat, Palmer lowered the mike and moved the crowd with her heavenly voice. At that very moment, her family knew there was something special about Keke (a nickname given to her by her sister).
Although music was still her passion, Palmer's first big break came via her acting skills, making her big-screen debut in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004) as Queen Latifah's niece. Immediately recognizing her star potential, the film's producers encouraged her parents to take their daughter to California to explore other acting opportunities. Relocating required that Palmer's parents leave behind the security of their jobs, a newly purchased home and uproot their other three children. However, it didn't diminish the family's support of Palmer's aspirations.
Once settled on the West Coast, Palmer did not waste any time. Within six weeks she had booked an episode of the critically acclaimed CBS series Cold Case (2003), a national K-Mart commercial and was chosen from a nationwide search to play opposite William H. Macy in a TNT movie, The Wool Cap (2004). Her performance was so amazing that it earned her a Screen Actors Guild nomination--to date, she is the youngest actress (then at age ten) ever to receive a nomination in a Lead Actress Category.
In 2006 Palmer appeared as the lead character "Akeelah Anderson" in the critically acclaimed, award-winning film Akeelah and the Bee (2006). The film, about a young South Los Angeles girl who attempts to win a national spelling bee, won the hearts of audiences everywhere. Her breakthrough performance has received praise from many film critics and organizations. Among the list of nominations received, "Akeelah and the Bee" was listed as one of NBR's 2006 Top Independent Films of the Year, as well as four nominations from the NAACP Image Awards. Palmer, alone, won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture, as well as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture by the Black Movie Awards. She has also received nominations for Most Promising Newcomer by the Chicago Film Critics, Best Actress by the Black Reel Awards, and Best Young Actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Keke held her own in scenes with veteran co-stars Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.
That very same year, Palmer appeared in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006), which was #1 at the box office for two consecutive weeks. Palmer went on to win a 2007 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her breakout role in "Akeelah and the Bee". She also received a ShoWest Award for Rising Star of the Year. Shortly after, Palmer lit up the small screen starring in the Disney Channel's hit movie, Jump in! (2007). This one-two punch of big-screen success coupled with small screen ratings power made Keke Palmer a household name in Hollywood.
Palmer contributed her first recording, which was featured on the "Akeelah and the Bee" soundtrack, titled "All My Girlz", and followed it up with the ever popular "My Turn Now" on the "Jump In!" soundtrack. As if two soundtracks were not enough, she was also asked to sing "Tonight", an end title song from the smash-hit Ben Stiller movie, Night at the Museum (2006). Her Atlantic Records debut album, "So Uncool", is jammed with up-tempo R&B tracks, inspirational moments, and love songs. In 2008, Palmer starred in the Weinstein Co. feature, The Longshots (2008). The film was based on the true story of a young female quarterback, played by Palmer, that makes Pop Warner history; she starred opposite Ice Cube, for first time director and Limp Bizkit front man, Fred Durst.
Palmer also starred as the title character in the hit Nickelodeon series, True Jackson, VP (2008), for 68 episodes. She played a high-school student who becomes the head of a major fashion label. In the fall of 2008, "True Jackson" bowed with over 4.8 million viewers, setting a record for Nickelodeon's largest audience for a live-action premiere. She has received four NAACP Awards for Best Actress in Children's Television for her role as "True Jackson". In 2011, Keke joined the voice cast of Nickelodeon's Winx Club (2004). She played Aisha, the Fairy of Waves. For her voice work on Winx Club, she received another NAACP Award nomination, this time for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series or Special.
Keke starred in the movie, Abducted: The Carlina White Story (2012), for the Lifetime Network. She had a voice role in the 20th Century Fox animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), as the character "Peaches". Her co-stars include Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Jennifer Lopez and Queen Latifah.
Palmer was seen on the big screen in the Alcon/Warner Bros movie, Joyful Noise (2012), singing alongside legendary Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, however, it was Palmer who the critics singled out for her "young and inspiring" rendition of the Michael Jackson song, "Man in the Mirror".
Palmer resides in Los Angeles, CA.- Erica Tazel was born on 31 March 1977 in Dallas, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for Justified (2010), Roots (2016) and Mafia III (2016).
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When Aisha Hinds' junior high school tap dance instructor observed that she needed an outlet for expression that surpassed her tap shoes, she was guided to the High School of Performing Arts in New York - where her formal acting training began.
Hinds' numerous television credits include a supporting role on Detroit 1-8-7 (2010), recurring roles on Hawthorne (2009) and The Shield (2002) and guest appearances on Boston Legal (2004), Medium (2005), CSI: NY (2004), Judging Amy (1999), Crossing Jordan (2001), ER (1994), and NYPD Blue (1993). She also starred opposite Marcia Gay Harden in the pilot Hate (2005). Her feature film roles include Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), Neo Ned (2005), and Love Aquarium (2004).
On stage, her theatre credits include August Wilson's "Fences" and "'Night, Mother" at the American Theatre of Harlem; "Tartuffe," "Anything Goes" and "Mame" at the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre; and George C. Wolfe's "The Colored Museum" and "A Piece of My Heart" at the Alvin Sherman Stage.- Actress
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Naturi Naughton is an American Actress/Singer best known for her performance as "Tasha St. Patrick" in the hit show "Power" on the Starz Network. She has won 2 NAACP Image Awards for her performance in this role. Many also remember her thrilling portrayal of "Lil Kim" in Fox Searchlight's film "Notorious". Naughton has starred in various other projects such as MGM's remake of the classic film "Fame", Lottery Ticket, The Playboy Club, Mad Men and The Client List. She also appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award winning musical, "Hairspray" for 3 years. Before her transition into film and television, Naughton was a member of the Platinum selling girl group 3LW. Born and raised in East Orange, NJ, she was greatly inspired by Whitney Houston as a child and knew by the age of 5 that she wanted to be a performer. Naughton continues to thrive in Hollywood as a respected actress who has been lauded for her ability to transform into any role she is given.- Actress
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Gladys Knight was born on 28 May 1944 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Hollywood Homicide (2003), The Butler (2013) and Cobra (1986). She has been married to William McDowell since 12 April 2001. She was previously married to Les Brown, Barry Hankerson and James Newman.- Actress
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Charlayne Woodard is a dazzling force in American theater, captivating audiences with her exceptional talent as both an actress and playwright. With two Obie Awards under her belt, and nominations for the highly prestigious Tony and Drama Desk Awards, she has solidified her place as one of the most acclaimed performers of our time.
Her writing and performing skills shine in her four solo plays, Pretty Fire, Neat, In Real Life, and The Nightwatcher, which have received widespread critical acclaim. But Woodard's talent doesn't stop there - she has also written two multi-character plays, Flight and The Garden, further showcasing her versatility and range as a writer.
Woodard has also starred in original plays written by some of the biggest names in contemporary theater, including Susan-Lori Parks, Lynn Nottage, George C. Wolfe, Jeremy O. Harris, Brandon-Jacobs Jenkins, Athol Fugard, David Adjmi, and Ariel Dorfman. She's graced the silver screen as well, appearing in films directed by the likes of M. Night Shyamalan, Milos Foreman, Louis Malle, John Schlesinger, Nicolas Hytner, Wim Wenders, Robert Townsend, and John Sayles.
In addition to her stage and screen work, Woodard has also made an impact on television, appearing in numerous shows and even making a memorable performance on The Johnny Carson Show. She made history by becoming the first black actress to play Cinderella on TV or in film.
Charlayne Woodard's talent and versatility make her a true standout in the world of theater and beyond. With her fearless performances and captivating writing, she continues to captivate audiences and inspire the next generation of performers.- Actress
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Yaya DaCosta was born and raised in New York City along with her sister and two brothers. She got her first acting gig at the age of eleven when her junior high school drama teacher, Ann Willis Ratray, encouraged her to audition for educational films. She continued to perform in school shows throughout high school and college and in 2005, She was the runner-up in Cycle 3 of America's Next Top Model made her feature film debut in Take the Lead. In 2008, she made her Off-Broadway debut in "The First Breeze of Summer" at The Signature Theater, for which she garnered rave reviews and won the Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition Award for Excellence in Black Theater. She has portrayed a range of characters, from Danny Glover's frail teenage daughter in John Sayles' Honeydripper, to Mark Ruffalo's voluptuous lover in Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right. She has been tagged one of Hollywood's new "it girls" by many, including Lynn Hirschberg who featured her on the cover of W Magazine in September, 2010.- Rose Jackson is known for Dead Presidents (1995), The Crew (1995) and What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). She has been married to Michael G. Moye since 1996. They have one child.
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Malinda Williams was born on 24 September 1970 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for High School High (1996), First Sunday (2008) and The Undershepherd (2012). She has been married to Tariq Walker since January 2020. She was previously married to D-Nice and Mekhi Phifer.- Actress
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Serena Reeder was born on 8 April 1983 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for The Bucket List (2007), Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005) and Untitled Edmonia Lewis Film.- Actress
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It was inevitable that Nona Gaye would become a singer - she is the granddaughter of Cuban jazz great Slim Gaillard, the niece of R&B singer/songwriter Frankie Gaye and the daughter of soul legend Marvin Gaye. Signed to Third/Stone Atlantic at 14, Nona released "Love for the Future" in 1992, which included the top 20 hit "I'm Overjoyed". But it was acting that give Nona a name of her own. With no acting experience and her agents warning her not to get her hopes up, she won the role of Khalilah Camacho Ali in Ali (2001)opposite Academy Award-nominee Will Smith. Nona went on to play Zee in the "Matrix" sequels, replacing singer Aaliyah after her sudden death in a plane crash. In 2004, Nona provided the voice for Hero Girl in The Polar Express (2004), which also starred Tom Hanks. Nona has plans to return to the music studio as well as the silver screen. "My music will always reflect upon my family's legacy or people's expectations," Nona told Interview Magazine in 2001. "But acting's all mine."- Actress
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Patti LaBelle was born Patricia Louise Holte on May 24, 1944 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Patti began her career in the early 1960s as lead singer of the band Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. A decade later the group changed their name to Labelle and recorded the hit song "Lady Marmalade". Patti became a solo artist in 1976 and her debut album was another success. During five decades she has sold more than 50 million records and also became an actress.- Music Artist
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Kelendria Trene 'Kelly' Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, talent show judge, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the group's two-year hiatus, Kelly Rowland released her first solo album, Simply Deep (2002), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Rowland also ventured into acting with starring roles in the successful films Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and The Seat Filler (2004).
Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2006, Rowland released her second album, Ms. Kelly (2007), which produced the international top-ten hits "Like This" and "Work". In 2009, she hosted the first season of The Fashion Show and was featured on David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over", which hit number one in many countries. Its success influenced Rowland to explore dance music on her third album Here I Am (2011), which spawned the UK top-ten singles "Commander" and "Down for Whatever". She became a judge on the eighth season of The X Factor UK (2004) in 2011 as well as the third season of The X Factor (2011) in 2013. Rowland's fourth album, Talk a Good Game (2013), became her third top-ten album on the US Billboard 200 chart. Rowland has continued her television career by hosting Chasing Destiny (2016) in 2016 and starring as a coach on The Voice (2012) since 2017.
Throughout her career, Rowland has sold over 30 million records as a solo artist, and a further 60 million records with Destiny's Child. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including four Grammy Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and two Soul Train Music Awards. Rowland has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of Destiny's Child, and as a solo artist, she has been honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and Essence for her contributions to music.- Actress
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Gabrielle Union was born on October 29, 1972, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Theresa (Glass), who managed a phone company, and Sylvester E. Union, a military sergeant and business executive. When she was eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she grew up and attended high school. There, Union was an all-star point guard and a year-round athlete participating in soccer, basketball, and track. She graduated from Foothill High School (Class of 1991).
After high school, Gabrielle attended college at University of Nebraska, where she played on the soccer team; and then later transferred to Cuesta College. Eventually, she ended up at UCLA. On her way to law school, just planning on being a working stiff, things started to happen during her senior year. Gabrielle had a college internship at a L.A. modeling agency, she thought it would be an easy way to pick up some extra credits. Little did she know that clients were eyeing the help. Upon the completion of the internship, she was asked to become a client with the agency. Gabby thought of it as a great way to pay off a stack of college loans, and modeled until her agent found that she could actually act. Her first audition/job was landed without any headshots, on Saved by the Bell (1989). Since then, she has gone on to have many small but substantial film roles and has guest-starred on several hit TV shows, all before landing the role of "Dr. Courtney Ellis", on CBS' short-lived medical drama City of Angels (2000).
Although she plays parts that are opinionated and strong, Gabrielle believes that, "Hollywood needs to recognize all shades of African-American beauty." Gabrielle is a 1996 graduate of UCLA with honors in sociology.- Actress
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Regina King was born in Los Angeles, California, to Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician. She began her career in the television show 227 (1985), followed by a role in Boyz n the Hood (1991). She began to be recognized by a mainstream audience after her role as Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character's wife in Jerry Maguire (1996). She co-starred in Enemy of the State (1998) as Will Smith's character's wife.- Music Department
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India Arie was born on 3 October 1975 in Denver, Colorado, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Miami Vice (2006), Don't Say a Word (2001) and Radio (2003).- Actress
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BernNadette Stanis is best known as Thelma from Good Times (1974), but there's much more to her than that. In the 1970s she was the personification of black beauty. As sophisticated and graceful as she was, she still became TV's first black sex symbol or "It" girl. Thelma/BernNadette and the Evans family also proved many stereotypes wrong about the ghetto and the young black girl, such as that all black girls and black families in the ghetto had no hopes, dreams, or class. Thelma showed that a "ghetto girl" had hopes and dreams, intelligence, respect, dignity, and grace, and it wasn't just acting--BernNadette was that naturally. She introduced a new definitive image of the young black girl and woman.
BernNadette was a wonderful, graceful dancer, which she displayed several times on the series. Everything she did was marked with delicacy, diminutive beauty, form, or grace, all very welcome in TV in the 1970s. Her dramatic, comedic charm, witty one-liners, daintiness, winsomeness, and sexy but innocent image were versatile qualities that made her a great talent and great favorite who will never be forgotten.- Actress
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Kandi is best known as one of the lead vocalists in the hugely successful 1990s R&B vocal group, Xscape. Burrus sang lead on hits such as "My Little Secret", "Just Kickin' It" and "Who Can I Run To", as well as wrote their early hits, including "Feel So Good" and "Can't Hang". Kandi is also known as the song-writing genius behind the massive 1999 No. 1 hit, "No Scrubs", by TLC, which won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, a song-writing award. She was also recognized as the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Award for Songwriter of the Year, other hits penned by Kandi included "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child and "There You Go" by Pink, to name just a few, in all she's written dozens more songs for artists including, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, *NSYNC, Monica, Alicia Keys, Boyz II Men, Faith Evans, Blu Cantrell and many, many more. During the late 1990s, when she emerged as a talented singer/song-writer, along with song-writing partners Kevin 'She'kspere' Briggs (also rumored husband) and Tiny Harris (member of Xscape and co-writer of "No Scrubs"), she was tipped as a leader of a new breed of talented behind-the-scenes female artists and received great ovation for her talents, the media had nothing bad to relay. Burruss attempted to wow the critics once more by releasing her very own highly anticipated debut solo set, with a lead single, "Don't Think I'm Not", which had fair success. The album, entitled "Hey Kandi", sold reasonably well during its first few weeks. Despite modest success, she was dropped from "Columbia" as a recording artist, though she continues to write songs for other artists through the company. Burruss returned to her recording career with her second album, "I Need", released through independent label, "Upfront Records".- Actress
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Retta was born in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Parks and Recreation (2009), Fracture (2007) and The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017).- Actress
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Janet Louise Hubert was born in Chicago, IL. She is best known for playing the sassy, witty, outgoing, protective mom on the hit TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
Janet Hubert spent most of her childhood growing up in Momence, IL. That changed when she won a scholarship to Julliard School in New York City. After Juilliard, Janet studied all forms of dance and studied with some of the best teachers including Alvin Ailey and David Howard. She debuted on Broadway in "The First". She went on to do shows such as "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Dancin'", and was a member of the original Broadway cast of "CATS", where she created the role of Tantomile, and was the understudy for Betty Buckley, singing the title role, in New York City. However, her most memorable role came in 1990 when she made her TV debut in "Fresh Prince". She has since guest-starred on numerous shows, including Gilmore Girls (2000), Friends (1994), The Bernie Mac Show (2001) and Tales from the Crypt (1989). She has also appeared on the Tyler Perry hit House of Payne (2006). Janet has been battling osteoporosis and has recently became an ambassador for the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Janet will forever be known as a versatile actress, dancer and singer. She was, to many, a woman who stood her ground, much like that of her character on "Fresh Prince"--the strong-willed yet elegant, original, one and only Vivian Banks.- Beautiful N'Bushe Wright started out as a dancer, trained at the prestigious Alvin Ailey Dance Center and the Martha Graham School of Dance, but then switched to acting, enrolling at Stella Adler's studio. Within a year, Wright was starring in Anthony Drazan's Zebrahead (1992). That year, she won the recurring role of Claudia, a black civil rights activist fighting for equal opportunities in education in the acclaimed but short-lived NBC television drama I'll Fly Away. She received positive reviews for her moving portrayal of the drug-addicted older sister of the title protagonist in Boaz Yakin's Fresh (1994). The following year, Wright played an idealistic Black Panther in the Hughes Brothers Dead Presidents (1995). A native of New York City, she is the daughter of jazz man Suleiman-Marim and a NYC Board of Education psychologist. Wright attended the Manhattan High School for the Performing Arts.
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Kim Wayans was born on 16 October 1961 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for In Living Color (1990), My Wife and Kids (2000) and Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996). She is married to Kevin Knotts.- Actress
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Terri J. Vaughn was born on 16 October 1969 in San Francisco, California, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Steve Harvey Show (1996), Friday (1995) and All of Us (2003). She has been married to Karon Riley since 19 January 2008. They have two children. She was previously married to Derrick A. Carolina.- Actress
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Sharon Pierre-Louis is a multilingual actress fluent in Haitian-Kreyol, American Sign Language, English & conversational French. She is a classical/Opera singer who co-founded Project Elev8, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that supports elevating the standards of education in Haiti. Pierre-Louis has appeared on the fourth and fifth seasons of Freeform's hit series Switched at Birth in the recurring guest star role of Iris which can also be viewed on Netflix. Credits Include ABC's Speechless, the role of Little Jody in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained & a guest star recurring role on ABC Family's (now known as Freeform) Lincoln Heights. She has guest starred on CBS's CSI: Miami, ABC's Suburgatory, and after having shot a couple of pilots, Sharon worked as a series regular on ABC Family's The Lying Game. She played Sophie in the indie film Electric Love & worked as a series regular on the New Media series, Grown, through Adaptive Studios (an LA-based company best known for producing HBO's 2015 reboot of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's docuseries, Project Greenlight.) She is also the voice of several characters in the Playstation's video game Crime Boss: Rockay City. She has commercial credits with Toyota, McDonald's & Tomorrow Mattress. Theatre credits include the voice of Emily Webb with Sandra Mae Frank in Deaf West's production of Our Town at the Pasadena Playhouse. The following season she returned to the Pasadena Playhouse stage in the French-Senegalese Muslim role of Amina, a four person play, Belleville, with Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect, The Help) & Thomas Sadoski (Life in Pieces, The Newsroom). Sharon graduated from an award winning middle/high school theatre program at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts as a musical theatre major. She has her BFA degree in acting (Cum Laude) from Florida State University as well as a degree in American Sign Language Interpreting and Transliterating (inspired by her Deaf older sibling.) Pierre-Louis believes in everyone having equal access to education, including the arts. She is a polyglot currently learning Italian & Spanish while being actively involved within the Deaf and Haitian community.- Lisa Leslie is an American former professional basketball player. She is the head coach for Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts on Fox Sports Florida.
Leslie played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medal winner. The number-seven pick in the 1997 inaugural WNBA draft, she followed her career at the University of Southern California with eight WNBA All-Star selections and two WNBA championships over the course of eleven seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, before retiring in 2009. Leslie was the first player to dunk in a WNBA game.
In 2015, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Leslie was also inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. - Glenda Hatchett was born in 1951 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress, known for The Young and the Restless (1973), Judge Hatchett (2000) and Black Friday (2015).
- Deborah Ayorinde was born in London, England. At age seven, she performed in her first play with a drama school in the Forest Gate area of London. It was there that she developed a passion for the arts. When she was eight years old, she and her family relocated to San Jose, California. She continued to develop her talents by participating in talent shows and contests, performing with dance teams, cheerleading teams, and choirs, and continuously training. In May of 2009, she graduated with honors from Howard University's John H. Johnson School of Communications with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production. During her matriculation at Howard, she won the coveted Paul Robeson Best Actress award for her performance in a short film she wrote and directed (The film also won the award for Best Cinematography). Her credits include, but are not limited to, Barbershop 3, Game of Silence (NBC), The Game (BET), and Necessary Roughness (USA). She has also appeared in various print ads and commercials. In addition to acting and modeling, Deborah is also passionate about directing and writing and owns an online boutique.
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Actress Natalie Desselle Reid hailed from Alexandria, Louisiana. She graduated from Peabody Magnet High School and attended Grambling State University for 2 1/2 years. The acting bug bit her after a starring role in Grambling's production of "Bubbling Brown Sugar." After several productions as a thespian, she decided to move to Los Angeles and test the waters. Realizing Hollywood was not aware of her "arrival" she became a receptionist, a soul food waitress and lastly a tank mechanic at McDonnell Douglas.
A devotee to the anomalous careers of Roseanne, Oprah and Whoopi she began to chart her course. Her break came when Robi Reed cast her in F. Gary Gray's "Set It Off" which led to a guest starring role on television's "Family Matters". After her initial foray into Hollywood, she found herself "down and out" in Inglewood, California and then the "call" came. The role that established her as a comedic thespian aka "the funny chick" in Robert Townsend's" B.A.P.S", starring opposite the luminous Halle Berry. The films "How to be a Player", "Cinderella" and televisions "Built to Last" and "For Your Love" followed.
In the 2000s, she played Janie Egins on the television show "Eve" for three seasons, and had one of her last film roles in Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family (2011). Her most cherished production was her family, which included her husband Lenny Reid and their three children Sereno, Summer, and Sasha.- Actress
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Three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, New York Times best-selling poet, and critically acclaimed actor are only a few titles held by Jill Scott. Before having the #1 album in the country with "The Light of The Sun", performing at The White House, being named People Magazine's Top TV Breakout Star of 2010 and appearing on VH1 Divas alongside Aretha Franklin, the triple threat began her career collaborating with musical icons, The Roots, Will Smith, and Common in the late 90s. In 2000, she released her much anticipated debut record, Who is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. 1, a double platinum album that earned Scott several Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. Two more critically acclaimed albums followed, Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds, Vol. 2 and The Real Thing: Words & Sounds, Vol. 3 which garnered two more Grammy Awards and spawned multiple worldwide tours.
Never limited to music, Jill Scott is a true multimedia brand across books, clothing, TV and film. Most recently, Jill starred in Get On Up: A James Brown Biopic, as DeeDee, the wife of James Brown. She also starred alongside Tyler Perry & Janet Jackson in the #1 national movie series Why Did I Get Married? (Pt. 1 and 2), Baggage Claim, Steel Magnolias and Sins of the Mother which aired on Lifetime and became the second-most watched premiere in the network's history. Jill was also casted as the lead character in the HBO/BBC mini-series filmed on location in Botswana, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, a Peabody Award-winning show directed by the late Oscar Award-winning director Anthony Minghella. In 2017, Jill Scott was casted as "Nayyirah Shariff" in the original Lifetime film Flint, a drama based on the Flint water crisis in Flint, Michigan - also starring Betsy Brandy, Marin Ireland and Queen Latifah.
A consummate writer at heart, she penned The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, a compilation of poems that instantly became a New York Times bestseller. Scott also developed an intimates line for Ashley Stewart and founded Blues Babe, a registered 501(c)3 foundation that has raised over hundreds of thousands dollars to support minority students pursuing college degrees.
Jill released her highly anticipated 5th studio album Woman on July 24, 2015 which opened on the music charts at #1 giving Jill her 2nd consecutive number one album. In January of 2017, Jill Scott marked her brand's expansion into stationary, releasing an exclusive "Jill Scott" greeting card collection in partnership with Hallmark Mahogany. Jill Scott received a 2017 Grammy nomination in the "Best Traditional R&B Performance" category for her single, "Can't Wait." Jill's most recent endeavor - find her taking on the role of "Hazel" in the BET + remake of the 1996 romantic comedy, The First Wives Club.- Actress
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Liris Crosse was born in Randallstown, Maryland, USA. She is known for Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021), The Best Man (1999) and Project Runway (2004).- Actress
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Mo'Nique received a standing ovation when she stepped on stage for the first time in her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, giving her confidence to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. After numerous stand-up performances, she took a leap forward with one of the starring roles in The Parkers (1999).
Mo'Nique's huge international breakthrough came with her performance in the independent feature film Precious (2009), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and over 30 other major awards for best acting including the most important ones like the Golden Globe, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, the New York Film Critics Circle Award, the Chicago Film Critics Association Award, the Independent Spirit Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, the National Society of Film Critics Award, the BAFTA Film Award and Sundance Film Festival's Special Jury Prize.I love me some Monique. She was one of the most beautiful women in the world (in my book back in the 2000s). She is probably the finest plus size woman I have ever seen. (There I said it. What you gonna do, sue me?) People should check her out in Welcome Home Rocco Jenkins film to see what I mean. Back in the late 2000s, she almost gave Halle Berry a run for her money in the looks department.- Actress
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Growing up and living under the huge, daunting shadow of a singing icon can intimidate a son or daughter enough to want to look anywhere else to find their station in life. Those who dared to try to follow in their footsteps, such as Frank Sinatra Jr., found success branching out in other areas of music; others like the Crosby brothers, suffered from perpetual self esteem issues that led to personal tragedy; still others, like Liza Minnelli found meteoric success on their own and emulated/paralleled their famous parent's own star achievements.
"Sophisticated Lady" Natalie Cole fits into the last-mentioned category. Moreover, she ended up living a dream by dueting with her father, the late and great Nat 'King' Cole, through the use of modern technology, to multiple Grammy-winning glory. This would become the pinnacle of her musical success. Unlike Minnelli, however, her famous crooning parent, who broke many racial barriers during his way-too-short life in the limelight, did not live long enough to enjoy his daughter's rise to stardom, dying of lung cancer a little more than a week after Natalie's 15th birthday.
Stephanie Natalie Maria Cole was born on February 6, 1950, and grew up in a heavily musical atmosphere in Los Angeles' exclusive Hancock Park area. In addition to her father, mother Maria had been a background vocalist with the Duke Ellington outfit. Natalie herself grew up surrounded by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and, Frank Sinatra, who were considered family. Singing on one of her dad's Christmas albums, and performing by age 11, her father's early death brought emotional scars and perhaps induced a self-imposed lack of musical focus. The family relocated to Massachusetts and Natalie eventually took off to college, first attending and majoring in child psychology at the University of Massachusetts. The transferred to the University of Southern California before returning to her first campus and graduating in 1972. At this point, however, she decided to live her music a go again and began performing at various night spots. It was at this juncture that she gradually fell into drug addiction, including heroin use.
A breakthrough for Natalie came via her early 70s association with Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy, who once worked with one of Natalie's real-life idols, Aretha Franklin. A debut album in the form of "Inseparable" came out in 1975, which included her bit hit "This Will Be" (#6 on the pop charts and a multiple Grammy winner for best R&B female vocals and "best newcomer". In 1976 producer Yancy became her husband but they divorced after only a few years and following the birth of their only child, Robert Adam Yancy. Her ex-husband died in 1985.
During the "disco era", milder hits with "Sophisticated Lady," "Mr. Melody," "I've Got Love on My Mind," "Our Love," "Stand By," "What You Won't Do for Love," and "Hold On" and "Nothing But a Fool" arrived, along with more platinum and gold albums. Acute drug problems, however, continued to hinder her progress and she eventually took time off time for recovery. In 1985, Natalie released, in what was the start of a comeback, her album "Dangerous" for Modern Records; she later lost her contract. Such as late 80s pop singles included "Jump Start My Heart," "Miss You Like Crazy", "Pink Cadillac" and "I Live for Your Love" kept her visible and on the charts.
In the midst of her ebb-and-flow R&B success, Natalie decided in 1991 to record a new CD, "Unforgettable...with Love," paying homage to her late father. With the help and encouragement of family, she re-arranged and re-recorded some of his greatest songs in the same studio that he recorded (Capitol Studios), used some of the same musicians and even recreated one of his signature songs, the title tune "Unforgettable," with a technological effect that appeared as if they were dueting together. Never before or since has this been pulled off and marketed so successfully. The CD, which met with some derision (some critics felt she was grasping for straws in a career that was going backwards), was an instant "easy listening" sensation. Not only did it sell well over 30 million copies, it would become an eight-time over platinum winner. It earned a armload of awards on Grammy night -- including "Album of the Year" and "Record of the Year".
Over time Natalie began covering jazz standards. A jazz CD in 1994 also captured a Grammy (she has racked up a total of eight Grammy awards thus far). Like her Dad, she has become a fond Christmas commodity both on TV and in the record stores. In addition, she branched out into occasional acting roles, including the social drama Lily in Winter (1994) and the autobiographical feature film Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000) in which she herself played the ups and downs of her own turbulent life. She has also made infrequent acting appearances on such shows as "I'll Fly Away," "Law & Order," "Touched by an Angel" and "Grey's Anatomy".
Natalie's private life, however, continued to show vulnerability. A second marriage to drummer Andre Fisher of Rufus fame also ended in divorce and she later married and divorced a third time to Kenneth H. Dupree, a church bishop. Natalie's older adopted sister, Carol Cole earned a modicum of distinction as an actress and celebrity for a time, but her adopted brother, Nat Kelly Cole, briefly an actor, died in 1995 at age 36 of AIDS-related complications.
Firmly content wrapping her glorious vocals around yesteryear's standards, Natalie's star contained the warm, fuzzy glow and velvet-like smoothness so reminiscent of her famous dad. She continued to shine with her CD "Still Unforgettable, in which she nursed the classics as only she can and "dueted" once again with her father on "Walking My Baby Back Home"
In July of 2008, Natalie was diagnosed with a life-threatening liver virus, Hepatitis C, which had laid dormant for decades from her early days of hard drug and alcohol use. It progressed to the point of her having a have a kidney transplant the following year. Although she continued to perform, she remained illness-prone up until her death on New Year's Eve 2015 of congestive heart failure induced by lung disease and pulmonary hypertension. Her 2000 memoir, Angel on My Shoulder, detailed much of her early addiction battles.- Born in Brooklyn, NY, to a writer/accountant father, Stan Victor, and case worker mother, Barbara Victor (both from southern Nigeria), she is the middle child of three girls. Growing up between Brooklyn and Long Island, she started dancing and playing piano at 6. She was entered into a pageant by an aunt at age 13 and won Miss New York Junior Teen. Though discovered by an agent at a fashion show commitment, and pushed towards a career in modeling, she was drawn to acting. Her academic achievements led her to the Ivy League, and she was enrolled in the undergrad program of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied entrepreneurial management and marketing. While in college, she performed plays with friends in parks around Philadelphia, and studied acting privately. After school, she returned to New York City where she studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, and quickly began working both on Broadway and on various television shows, including NYC classics Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU.
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Mandisa was born on 2 October 1976 in Sacramento, California, USA. She was a composer, known for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016), Unplanned (2019) and War Room (2015). She died on 18 April 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.- Actress
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JoMarie Payton was born in in Albany, Georgia on August 3, 1950. Her father, Driscoll Payton, was a construction worker and mother, Frankie Bell Payton, was a maid. They moved to the Miami suburb of Opa-Locka, Florida in 1950. JoMarie was the second of nine children.
JoMarie's first performance on stage was at the tender age of six years old. After high school, she attended Albany State University in Albany, Georgia. Once she graduated, JoMarie left for California to join the national touring company of the musical "Purlie" which starred Robert Guillaume. As an accomplished singer, she received her first major professional acting roles through musical auditions.
JoMarie finally got her big break playing Harriet Winslow in the sitcom Perfect Strangers (1986). Audiences enjoyed her character so much that a spin-off was created a couple years later that focused on the Winslow family. Family Matters (1989) became a hit but quickly the show began to focus on character Steve Urkel rather than the Winslows. In the middle of the ninth season, JoMarie was given the chance to end her contract so she could pursue other artistic endeavors.
Payton is a human rights activist and a four time NAACP Image Award nominee. In honor of her mother, she started the Frankie Payton Scholarship Fund at Albany State College. She has been married four times and has one daughter, Chantale France.- Actress
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Nimi Adokiye has emerged as a standout talent in Hollywood, recognized for her captivating performances across notable TV series. Her exceptional skills were honored with the Best Emerging Actress award at the World Entertainment Awards, underscoring her significant impact as a rising star in the industry.
Her remarkable contributions include roles in NBC's "How to Get Away with Murder," showcasing her versatility and depth in drama, and CBS's "Bob Hearts Abishola," where her performance adds richness to the series' exploration of cross-cultural themes. Nimi's dynamic presence on VH1's "America's Next Top Model" and "Infamy" further highlights her adaptability across genres.
Nimi Adokiye's award-winning talent and diverse TV credits establish her as a compelling force in entertainment, destined for continued success and recognition in her acting career.- Music Department
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Rozonda Ocelean Thomas was born February 27, 1971 in Columbus, Georgia, to Ava Thomas and Abdul Ali. She has one son with producer Dallas Austin - they named him Tron. She is a very close friend of fellow member Tionne 'T-boz' Watkins' of TLC. The death of fellow band member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes was a heavy loss. She has released three albums with T-Boz after Left Eye's death.- Actress
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Born in Los Angeles in 1964, Theresa Randle began her performing career by studying dance (traditional, modern, jazz) and comedy. She entered Beverly Hills High School, with a special program for the exceptionally gifted. At the end of college she earned her first role at the Los Angeles Inner City Cultural Center and was seen in commercials. Theresa was also involved in acting on the stage, with roles in such productions as "In Command of the Children", "Sonata", "6 Parts of Musical Broadway" and "Fight the Good Fight".
In 1987 she got her first big-screen break with Maid to Order (1987). For the next three years she appeared (in small roles) in such movies as Easy Wheels (1989) and Heart Condition (1990), with Denzel Washington). She continued in small roles by great directors such as Abel Ferrara (King of New York (1990)) and Spike Lee (Jungle Fever (1991) and Malcolm X (1992)). In 1995 she starred in Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) and Bad Boys (1995) (with Will Smith). In 1996 she earned her first starring role in Spike Lee's Girl 6 (1996), playing a young, out-of-work actress who gets caught up in the seductive, yet dark, world of phone sex.
She has also appeared in Space Jam (1996), with Michael Jordan (and a bevy of classic Warner Bros. cartoon characters) and recently in the film adaptation of the comic strip Spawn (1997), with Martin Sheen).- Actress
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Teyonah Parris was born on 22 September 1987 in Hopkins, South Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Dear White People (2014), Chi-Raq (2015) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018). She is married to James Parris.- Actress
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Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Denise Milfort narrowly escaped great political upheaval with her family as a small child. Her father, now deceased, was the supervising engineer at a German owned electronic company in Haiti. Her mother, a former entrepreneur owned several car dealerships throughout the country. The family was forced to abandon all of their assets and start with zero in the United States.
Her interest in acting began early, as she landed leading roles in school productions. She's credited on the highly praised Nine Inch Nails album The Fragile for song La Mer, recorded during a six year romantic relationship with the Grammy and Academy award winner Trent Reznor. She's quoted defending her decision to sing the song in Haitian Creole rather than French as support for the decision to make Haitian Creole an official language in Haiti, which prior had been French. It was a conscious decision on her part to distance herself from the elitist politics of her family's past.
While living in New Orleans, she appeared on the cover of Gambit Weekly and supported herself as a model. After finishing high school in Stamford, Connecticut, she attended Eastern Connecticut State University and majored in biology, she later moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. She has four sisters and a brother. In Repentance, she plays alongside academy award winning actor Forest Whitaker. Her latest works include Lalo's House with Garcelle Beauvais set in Haiti due our early 2018. She passionately and diligently supports Dental Care for Children, volunteering her time as their international coordinator a nonprofit organization which provides free dental care for children in Haiti and in Mexico.- Actress
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A performer since childhood, performer, writer, producer and director T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh (Ta-Kee-ah Kristle Kee-Mah) studied theater, dance, voice, and pantomime in high school, then turned down a business scholarship to complete her studies at Florida A&M University with a degree in Theatre, co-oping at Florida State University to graduate, with honors, on time. After college, the Chicago native worked as a singer, dancer and actress, and won the title of Miss Black Illinois before placing 1st runner-up in the Miss Black America pageant. She moved to Los Angeles after wowing casting directors with her original performance piece, "In Black World..." in an open call for a pilot on a young television network.
That pilot turned out to be Fox's groundbreaking, internationally successful, Emmy and TV Land Award winning sketch comedy show In Living Color. The only female to star in all five seasons, Keymáh delivered hilarious, spot on impressions like those of Whoopi Goldberg and 'Edith Bunker,' created a slew of iconic characters like Hilda Headley (Hey Mon), and Shawanda Harvey (Go On Girl), and brought her own characters such as Cryssy (In Black World) and LaShawn to the show. On the heels of In Living Color, she went on to guest star on several live action and animated shows, and went on to star in six other series, playing: sexy contractor Scotti Decker on ABC's On Our Own; laid back television writer Denise Everett on Fox's The Show; a dozen lead and guest character voices on Damon Wayans's animated series Waynehead; flight attendant turned lawyer, turn pastry chef turned teacher Erica Lucas, on CBS's Cosby; firm, fun, caring mom Tanya Baxter, on Disney's That's So Raven, and Johnny Carson's gate-keeping secretary on Seeso's There's Johnny.
Growing up in the theater, Keymáh has managed to find her way to a stage between and even during her television and film projects. She did two runs and toured the country with her award winning solo show, "Some of My Best Friends." Her other self penned stage projects include "T'Keyah Live... Mostly: A True Variety Show," "Sellout!?!," and "Don't Get Me Started." She produced all of her shows and Margaret Laurena Kemp's "Creative Instructions,'" and self directed most her shows as well as Keisha Nickole's "S.I.S.T.E.R.," the world premiere of "Route 66: Finding Nat King Cole" at Amun Ra Theatre, and more recently, Pearl Cleage's "The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years" at Florida A&M University. Her regional stage credits include "A Raisin in the Sun," "Miss Evers' Boys," "Love Letters," "The Five Heartbeats Live," "The Piano Lesson," and "Crowns."
Wearing her hair naturally on television since her days on In Living Color, when doing so was rare, Keymáh has inspired a generation of women to follow her lead. In her popular coffee table book, Natural Woman / Natural Hair, the author lovingly demonstrates how to style African American natural hair and shares her experiences wearing her hair naturally on television. She is delighted that so many young women all over the world look to her as a natural hair icon. "What really gets me though, are the single and weekend dads and interracial families that my book has helped, and the older women that credit me with their natural hair conversions," Keymáh says.
After more than twenty years of constant work on stage, television and film, Keymáh's life changed direction completely when her grandmother became seriously ill. Throughout the run of That's So Raven, Keymáh was in charge of the care of the woman who raised her, who was then suffering from Alzheimer's disease. She made the most of her time on the show, made lasting friendships with the cast, acquired another generation of fans world wide, and even directed an episode. At the end of her final season on the show, however, the actress decided to take a break from performing to focus on her grandmother, and see her through her transition.
Keymáh now stars on "The Cool Crystal Show," a cultural magazine styled variety show on her own online platform, The Keymáh Network (www.Keymah.com). Her answer to the 2020 global pandemic, the show got such a great response the the performer / writer / producer is now in preproduction for the second season. Her newest book is, "Cycle of Love: 28 Days of Organization, Rejuvenation and Meditation for Inspired Self Care."- Actress
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Derin Adesida was born in Nigeria and raised in Philadelphia, PA and got her start in the arts at Shawmont Elementary in the music program, where she was active with the choir and was first chair Viola. She attended The Hotchkiss School, a boarding school in New England, where she discovered her love for dance and writing. There she began formally training in Jazz and Modern. She wrote for the school's literary magazine and was awarded the Judge J. Howard Rossbach Poetry Prize.
Derin graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a BA in English and concentration in Writing. There she performed and co-wrote plays for the Black Theater Ensemble and choreographed for the University's dance group, Orchesis. While at Columbia University, she also took full advantage of New York's performance scene as a spoken word artist. She is Nuyorican Slam champ, Youth Speaks Slam finalist and has had the honor or performing at the prestigious Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival with the likes of Toni Blackman and Amiri Baraka. During her senior year, she earned a place in the University's Literature of the Middle Passage seminar with author and playwright, Caryl Phillips and was awarded the opportunity to travel and study in Ghana.
Derin has performed with Kanye West and Beyoncé. She appeared on NBC's The Playboy Club (2011) with a recurring role and has a recurring role on season 2 of Boss (2011) on STARZ.- Music Artist
- Actress
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Janelle Monáe is an American musical recording artist, actress and model signed to their own imprint, Wondaland Arts Society, and Atlantic Records.
They were born in Kansas City, Kansas, to Janet, a janitor, and Michael Robinson Summers, a truck driver. In 2010, Monáe released her first full-length studio album, The ArchAndroid. In March 2012, "We Are Young" by Fun., on which Monáe appears as a guest vocalist, reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, their first appearance in the US Top 10. Monáe's music has garnered them six Grammy Award nominations.
Monáe has excelled at film acting and picking roles, having had major parts in Moonlight (2016), Hidden Figures (2016), Lady and the Tramp (2019) and Harriet (2019). In 2020, they played the lead in the horror film Antebellum (2020).- Music Artist
- Actress
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Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born on May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana, to Katherine Jackson (née Katherine Esther Scruse) and Joe Jackson, a musician. She is the youngest of ten children. Before her birth, her brothers formed a band later called The Jackson 5. She lived at home with her sisters, while her brothers and father lived an extravagant life in Los Angeles. She later moved in with them while her brothers were making a name for themselves, and signed a deal with Motown. Janet was in the shadow but later also made a name for herself.
As she was touring, and making appearances with her brothers, and the rest of the family, she co-starred with the rest of them in "The Jacksons". In 1977, she got the part of Penny Gordon on "Good Times". That showed her acting abilities early on. She also made a few memorable appearances on the hit TV show "Diff'rent Strokes" as Charlene Dupree. Soon afterwards came her role on "Fame".
She married boyfriend James Debarge, but they divorced just months later. She signed with A&M Records, and recorded her first solo album titled "Janet Jackson". The album did poorly on the music charts. Two years later she recorded "Dream Street" which turned out to be another disaster. A year later she signed on Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to record a third album, this time called "Control". It was a hit, selling 5 million copies in the U.S. alone, spawning six hits, and the #1 "When I Think of You". Afterwards, she fired her father, her manager to truly gain control.
Janet was determined to make this happen again. She then recorded "Rhythm Nation 1814". This time it sold 9 million copies in the U.S. - a bigger hit than "Control"! She happened to fall in love with a dancer named René Elizondo, Jr. from one of her sister's, LaToya Jackson's music video and later secretly married him in March of 1991. The year before she got a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Janet went to work on her fifth album simply called "Janet.". It was her biggest hit to date selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone and includes her biggest hit single to date, "That's The Way Love Goes". Two years later she released a Greatest Hits album "Design of a Decade" which included two new hits "Runaway", and "Twenty-Foreplay". Her sixth album "The Velvet Rope" clarified her pop culture status.
In the midst of the release of "Nutty Professor II", René Elizondo filed for divorce, which is when it emerged they had been secretly married. Janet recorded her seventh album "All For You". Another hit. She was honored by MTV as an MTV Icon. In 2003, Janet went to work on her next album "Damita Jo" - it was another hit.- Actress
- Producer
In film, television, and theater, DeWanda Wise has established herself as one of the industry's most consistently critically acclaimed artists.
Of her work as Kayla Watts in Jurassic World Dominion, she's been nearly universally considered a standout of the sixth installment with critics noting her magnetism, swagger, wit, and charisma. Entertainment Weekly notes,
"Dominion's most memorable star might be its newest: DeWanda Wise, who joins the series as high- flying pilot Kayla Watts...Playing a daring pilot, (she) is basically starring in a one- woman Raiders of the Lost Ark in her head. Let's get that concept to the sequel writers stat."
In Sony's Fatherhood directed by Paul Weitz, Wise plays Lizzie Swan. Her performance was similarly singled out for her depth of characterization, charm, and grace. While Variety noted that Swan was, "Saucy, gorgeous, so-supportive-she's-saintly," The Wrap observed how
"Lizzie Swan is the kind of ideal romantic partner that might seem eye-rollingly implausible were it not for the efforts of actor DeWanda Wise who makes Swan's healthy outlook and emotional patience seem like hard-earned positive qualities of a healthy, real human being."
As Erin Kennedy in Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's subversive rom com, "Someone Great," Variety declared,
"It's Wise who's this film's MVP, wittily delivering many hilarious, quotable one-liners with effervescence and charm."
Largely considered her breakout role, In the Netflix adaption of "She's Gotta Have It," created by Spike Lee, Wise appears as the iconic Nola Darling. Following its season one release, the series acquired great critical acclaim, and as a result, won an African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) award as one of the "Top 10 Television Shows." The Hollywood Reporter calls Wise's work "superb," while Deadline exclaimed, "With a star revealing herself before us, Underground alum Wise hits nothing but high notes." Other critics describe her performance as "fiery," "complex," "brilliant," and "moving."
Other acclaimed television work includes CBS All Access "The Twilight Zone," FOX's drama "Shots Fired," and WGN's hit historical drama "Underground."
Additional film credits include the 2016 Sundance romantic-comedy hit, "How to Tell You're a Douchebag," by Tahir Jetter. A film in which Wise both starred in and executive produced..
In 2016, Wise expanded her talents into screenwriting and wrote the short film entitled, "Where You Go," which premiered at Cannes in the "Short Film Corner."
Stage credits include Atlantic Theater Company's "Fireflies," by Donja R. Love, a performance universally acclaimed. Sara Holdren at Vulture states:
"Wise's smoldering, taut-as-a-bowstring Olivia is almost part animal. It's an electrically charged performance, the kind that you imagine an actor passing out after. Wise has extraordinary bright hazel eyes, cat-like in their intensity: They're the eyes of a domestic creature that should have been wild, a creature that's never at rest, whose small body contains a whole history of life before walls, before cages, before dependence."
Previous stage credits include a host of theater roles, notably originating the role of 'Nina' in acclaimed playwright Dominique Morisseau's "Sunset Baby." Ben Brantley of The New York Times stated,
"...it's the woman who's the toughest of them all. Ms. Wise, a beauty, makes us see and feel just how ugly Nina is...she also insists we understand why."
The Village Voice called her Nina, "commanding and severe," while The New Yorker described her performance as "Brutal and riveting."
Other praised performances include her work as Susan in the west coast premiere of David Mamet's "Race" with Center Theater Group, Mercy in "Flight," at City Theatre, and Abigail, a Zimbabwean wife grappling with an HIV diagnosis, in Danai Gurira's heartbreaking "In the Continuum" at Playmakers, Chapel Hill.
DeWanda Wise graduated from New York University with honors as a double major in Drama and Urban Social and Cultural Analysis with a minor in Community-based Theater and Performance. She is a Tisch Scholar Award recipient, the Atlantic Achievement in Studio Award recipient, and the BFA Representative of her graduating class of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.- Actress
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Tatyana Marisol Ali was born on January 24, 1979, in North Bellmore, New York, to Sonia, a nurse from Panama, and Sheriff Ali, a retired police officer from Trinidad. At the age of four, she started singing and got a taste of fame when she begged her mother to take her to an audition for Sesame Street (1969).
She went on to perform in many productions in her native New York, including the Broadway show "Fences"--with James Earl Jones and, later, Billy Dee Williams--and the off-Broadway show "Orfeo del Campo". When she was seven, she appeared on Star Search (1983) and won twice, receiving a four-star rating when she appeared for a second time. At age 11, Tatyana moved from New York to Los Angeles to establish her career and, not long afterwards, got her breakthrough role:Will Smith's cousin, "Ashley Banks," from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
While filming "The Fresh Prince," she also had exciting side projects, including guest roles in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1984), The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) (aka "The Mickey Mouse Club"), Kyno's Storytime (1992), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990) and Foster's Field Trip (1994).
The public saw her grow on "Fresh Prince" from an adorable little girl to a stunning young woman, and she sang in several episodes of the show, most notably her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and an original song, "Make Up Your Mind." Smith was so impressed with her singing that he asked if she would consider doing it professionally. Tatyana began preparing for her singing career during the last year of the show as she began training her vocal cords, recording demos and publicly performing on television and in various informal live concerts. Her performances on "The Fresh Prince" actually helped her build a fan base that anxiously waited for her first album launch. On August 25, she released her album "Kiss the Sky" (MJJ Music/Work/SME) and her single "Daydreamin'." The single was certified gold within weeks of its release, and it quickly rose on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles, where it reached #6 and stayed there for two weeks. She also contributed to major movies such as Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987). Since then, she has had significant roles in two films, Fall Into Darkness (1996) and Fakin' Da Funk (1997). She has also guest-starred in several sitcoms, including In the House (1995), and had a cameo role in the film Kiss the Girls (1997). She also went to Harvard and graduated with a degree in Anthropology in June 2002. She is now working on a new album and starring in more movies.- Actress
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Fantasia Barrino was born on 30 June 1984 in High Point, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Color Purple (2023), The Butler (2013) and American Idol (2002). She has been married to Kendall Taylor since 19 July 2015. They have one child.- Actress
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As a professional Model, Actress, Dancer, Reporter and Motivational Speaker, Brittney Sharaun is a multifaceted talent! Determined to be more than just a pretty face, Brittney Sharaun is a continuous work in progress and strives to live to her full potential in every area of her life. At the young age of 23 the bubbly television personality and California State University student is on her way to success and longevity in the Media Entertainment industry. She is best known as "Sharaun" from her appearance on Tyra Bank's hit reality television show "Americas Next Top Model". As one of the final 12 contestants, the optimistic Brittney Sharaun went on to catch the attention of top modeling agency Elite Model Management Chicago (now known as Factor Women). At the age of 18 Sharaun went on to sign with Elite and model for the likes of, Diane Von Furstenberg, Macy's, DSW Shoes, Christian Siriano, Scott Barnes, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tracy Reese, Sonia Rykiel and Tommy Hilfiger among others. Sharaun has also modeled on both the Tyra banks Show and Oprah Winfrey Show as well as appeared in Music Videos for hit music artists, Lil Jon, RKelly and Mario. As a reporter, the young beauty began reporting for NBC Chicago's "About Last Night" segment at the young age of 20. Her love for fashion eventually led to her hosting various fashion events as well as giving fashion tips and advice on the NBC.com segment. After being flooded with emails from young girls wanting fashion, life health and modeling advice, Brittney Sharaun began speaking at various seminars on the subject. As a professional model, Brittney Sharaun models designs that the public has yet to see. Her fashion insight as a model has led to her dishing out fashion tips to women everywhere! Believing beauty is more than just fashion, Sharaun touches on subjects such as low self esteem, depression, identity and inner beauty. Brittney Sharaun empowers young women to discover their true inner and outer beauty, love themselves and overcome their insecurities! Born on the South side of Chicago in a single parent household Brittney Sharaun has overcome many obstacles that most fall victim to. She is the perfect example that by making healthy life style choices dreams really can come true! A virgin, vowed to saving her self for marriage, the young vibrant role model tours to high schools sharing her inspirational life story and speaking to the youth about making healthy life style choices, following their dreams, setting goals, knowing their worth, self esteem and abstinence, just to name a few. Brittney Sharaun is a great role model of purity to young girls everywhere. Her message on purity captivates her audiences , leaving them with more confidence and a better understanding of their worth and identity. She is considered one of the youngest and wisest speakers today! Using her personal successes and testimonies, Sharaun creates an atmosphere of determination, love, passion and purpose. Her unique style, passion and dynamic energy captivates diverse audiences everywhere. Brittney Sharaun teaches proven practical principles for success to the youth that can inspire people of all ages! Off screen Brittney Sharaun dedicates a great deal of her time to her non-profit organization geared towards homeless rehabilitation. In her efforts to make a difference Brittney Sharaun founded "Burger and Bibles on Skid Row", which aims to inspire and encourage the homeless around the world to rise above poverty, defy the odds and discover their life's purpose. Brittney Sharaun has a passionate desire to use her accomplishments and inspirational story as a means to benefit the lives of the youth and motivate them to believe in the beauty of their dreams. She aspires to continue to Empower women around the world to cultivate their inner beauty while using fashion as a means to help them discover their outer beauty and love themselves!- Actress
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Camille Winbush was born on 9 February 1990 in Culver City, California, USA. She is an actress, known for The Bernie Mac Show (2001), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) and Eraser (1996).- Actress
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Shanola Hampton was born May 27 in Long Island, NY to a Pastor and an IRS agent. She was raised in Summerville, South Carolina with her three sisters. In college she earned a degree in Theater, with emphasis in Performance from Winthrop University along with a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from University of Illinois. She moved to Los Angeles in 2001, and began appearing in commercials. Later, she made her first guest appearance in Ryan Murphy's "Popular." Her hobbies include, traveling back to South Carolina to spend time with family, Pilates, and swimming. Her hope is to one day open a Performing Arts School.- Lanisha Cole is known as "the model photographer." Lanisha is both an accomplished, world-renown model as well as an active, professional photographer of models, famous faces, and iconic places. Lanisha is of Panamanian descent and as a darker woman of color, she works tirelessly to end discrimination based on skin color. Lanisha also promotes encouragement, kindness, compassion, healthy living, and respect with children and young adults.
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Nicole Beharie is an American actress.
Her critically acclaimed film debut was in the film American Violet (2008) alongside Alfre Woodard, Tim Blake Nelson and Will Patton. Beharie also played Ernie Davis' girlfriend in the movie The Express (2008). Her upcoming projects include My Last Day Without You (2011) and Steve McQueen's Shame (2011) opposite Michael Fassbender.
Beharie developed a passion for acting and performing as a child. She attended South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC. She was the first student from the Governor's school to be accepted into Juilliard Drama School in NYC.- Nichole Galicia is a film and television actress whose extraordinary journey to the big screen began as a high fashion model on the catwalks of Europe. Most recently, acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino hand picked Galicia for his film, Django Unchained, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx. Galicia has garnered much buzz around the character she plays "Sheba," DiCaprio's enslaved mistress and since, she has been extremely well received in the fashion industry, with her photos running in Page Six, W and online fashion sites, noting her exceptional taste in clothing, versatile hairstyles among other trending aspects of her looks.
As if that wasn't enough, Nichole wrote an art book, The Nichole Kent Collection, detailing her impressive pop art collection.
On the small screen, Galicia made her mark as a series regular on season 3 of Syfy's Defiance playing the fearless Kindzi, the alpha female of the alien Omec race. Galicia was also the female lead in And She Was My Eve a short featured in Ron Howard's Project Imaginat10n Film festival.
When Galicia is not modeling or acting she devotes her time to charities focused on developing the esteem and confidence of youth. Nichole served on the board of the Junior Committee of the New York Center for Children. Galicia recently started her own charity, The Orchid Foundation, where she mentors and provides scholarships for girls in need across the country. As a sports fan, Galicia enjoys Formula One, football, and basically anything that provides her with an adrenaline rush. - Actress
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Pam Grier was born in Winston-Salem, NC, one of four children of Gwendolyn Sylvia (Samuels), a nurse, and Clarence Ransom Grier Jr., an Air Force mechanic. Pam has been a major African-American star from the early 1970s. Her career started in 1971, when Roger Corman of New World Pictures launched her with The Big Doll House (1971), about a women's penitentiary, and The Big Bird Cage (1972). Her strong role put her into a five-year contract with Samuel Z. Arkoff of American-International Pictures, and she became a leading lady in action films such as Jack Hill's Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974), the comic strip character Friday Foster (1975) and William Girdler's 'Sheba, Baby' (1975). She continued working with American-International, where she portrayed William Marshall's vampire victim in the Blacula (1972) sequel, Scream Blacula Scream (1973).
During the 1980s she became a regular on Miami Vice (1984) and played a supporting role as an evil witch in Ray Bradbury's and Walt Disney Pictures' Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), then returned to action as Steven Seagal's partner in Above the Law (1988). Her most famous role of the 1990s was probably Jackie Brown (1997), directed by Quentin Tarantino, which was an homage to her earlier 1970s action roles, She occasionally did supporting roles, as in Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! (1996), In Too Deep (1999) and a funny performance in Jawbreaker (1999). She also appeared in John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars (2001) and co-starred with Snoop Dogg in Bones (2001). Her entire career of over 30 years has brought only success for this beautiful and talented actress.
A sister of Grier's died from cancer in 1990 and the son of that sister committed suicide because of his mother's illness. Pam herself was diagnosed with cancer in 1988 and given 18 months to live, which has had an effect on how she has chosen to live. She has never been wed, although she has been romantically linked to Richard Pryor and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the past.People know Pam Grier was one of the most attractive females in the 1970s, 1980s, and even 1990s. Her looks have dominated movies for the past three decades, which show no signs of slowing down in the 2010s. Pam Grier is here to stay.- Actress
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With roots leading back to Louisiana southern aristocracy, lovely leading lady Lynn Whitfield was born in 1953, the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University. Her dentist father was instrumental in developing Lynn's initial interest in acting as he was a prime figure in forming community theater in her native Baton Rouge. She is of African American and Native American descent, specifically Cherokee.
First garnering attention on the stage by studying and performing with the Black Repertory Company in Washington, D.C, she married one of the company's co-founders and pioneers of black theatre, playwright/director/actor Vantile Whitfield in 1974. She eventually moved to New York and appeared off-Broadway in such shows as "The Great Macdaddy" and "Showdown" before earning acclaim in the 1977 Los Angeles production of the landmark black play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide...When the Rainbow Is Enuf" co-starring Alfre Woodard. Lynn eventually became a force to be reckoned with intelligent and principled roles on quality film and TV as well
Lynn's Hollywood career unfolded under a talent development program at Columbia Pictures in 1979. Appearing on such established TV shows as "Hill Street Blues" and in a 1982 PBS version of her "For Colored Girls..." stage hit, she made her film debut with Doctor Detroit (1983) and doled out a number of support roles in other popular films as well such as Silverado (1985), The Slugger's Wife (1985), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), and Dead Aim (1987). It was TV, however, that garnered her the most attention, working her way into top lead and co-star roles. The topical social dramas The George McKenna Story (1986) co-starring Denzel Washington, Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI (1986) opposite Howard E. Rollins Jr. and Oprah Winfrey's historical miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989) were her early highlights. In addition, she found some steadier work on series TV playing classy professionals, including two for ABC (a doctor in Heartbeat (1988) and a news anchorwoman in Equal Justice (1990).)
The peak of her acclaimed career arguably came in the form of highly popular but deeply troubled Follies Bergere headliner-turned civil rights activist Josephine Baker. In the HBO biopic The Josephine Baker Story (1991), Lynn played the legendary entertainer with Emmy-winning gusto, a role that stretched her to the limits as she played the role from age 18 to 68. Earning an NAACP Image Award in 1992 for her role in the miniseries Stompin' at the Savoy (1992), she later appeared in Pauly Shore's comedy In the Army Now (1994) and went back to series TV alongside Bill Cosby in the short-lived The Cosby Mysteries (1994).
Lynn had an upsurge in the late 90s with roles in the films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) with Martin Lawrence and Gone Fishin' (1997) with "Silverado" co-star Danny Glover. She also earned excellent reviews for her supporting work in Eve's Bayou (1997), a role that drew on her Louisiana heritage. More quality TV came her way when she starred as Sophie in Sophie & the Moonhanger (1996), a mini-movie that focused on the relationship of the wife of a Klansman and her longtime black housekeeper. She kept up the momentum with an unsympathetic role in the Oprah Winfrey miniseries The Wedding (1998), where she again had to cover a long life span, this time from 19 to 47.
Into the millennium, Lynn has continued to find prolific work both on film and TV. Big screen credits include a co-starring role as a party advisor in the Chris Rock/Bernie Mac political comedy Head of State (2003), written and directed by Rock; star/writer/director Tyler Perry's romantic comedy Madea's Family Reunion (2006); the urban film Redemption (2004) starring Jamie Foxx that chronicles the turbulent life of (now) imprisoned L.A. Crips gang founder Stan "Tookie" Williams; a featured part in an updated version of Clare Boothe Luce's The Women (2008) headed by Meg Ryan and Annette Bening; a co-starring role opposite singer/songwriter Ciara in the family musical drama Mama I Want to Sing (2011); another co-star role opposite another musical artist, rapper/songwriter 50 Cent, in the sports drama All Things Fall Apart (2011); a starring role as a woman who loses her police officer son and takes in a young parolee Crawford Wilson in the social drama King's Faith (2013); and the Sean Astin action comedy Espionage Tonight (2017).
On the TV front, Lynne has made guest appearances in such regular programs as "Boston Public," "Strong Medicine," a recurring role in "Without a Trace," "Shark," "Flash Forward," How to Get Away with Murder," "Hit the Floor," "Mistresses" and, more recently, as Lady Belle Greenleaf, the matriarch of a rich, unscrupulous Southern Baptist, mega-church family in the dramatic series Greenleaf (2016).
Divorced from Vantile Whitfield in the late 70s, Lynn later married British director Brian Gibson in 1990, by whom she has a daughter, Grace. They parted ways in 1992.People should check her out in a thin line between love and hate. She was simply beautiful in that film. She was one of the most attractive woman in the 1980s and 1990s.