This Black History Month, I’m sharing art, songs, movies, and other creative expressions from and about Black women that spark joy for me. Because Black women are often not remembered for their contributions, I thought this would be one way to give flowers to those who inspire me.
For Day 9, I thought I’d spotlight the late Diahann Carroll for her work in the TV show Julia.
Diahann Carroll was the first Black woman to have a starring TV role that was not a domestic worker.
Ms. Carroll didn’t want to do the show when the opportunity came across her desk. The creator didn’t think she could do it - which was part of the reason she decided to audition. To prove she could do it. She poured herself into that audition and became the embodiment of “working twice as hard” by preparing intensely for the audition. She changed the creator's mind and her own mind by stepping into the character.
Diahann Carroll saw a huge opportunity to expand how people saw Black people so those images included middle-class success. She talks about the importance of claiming the right to be something other than stereotypes about Black people. Ms. Carroll thought it was critical for Americans to stop believing that the only thing available to Black people was to be a documentary - like something to be studied. For Diahann, being a Black woman in a comedy was like proving what was possible - much like her original audition for the show.
Check out this video of the pilot of the series:
Thank you, Diahann Carroll, for blazing a trail and helping society expand the definitions of Blackness.
Commentaires