Today I am highlighting Jenifer Lewis. I first became aware of her when she played Will Smith’s aunt on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”. She was in a handful of episodes, but I remember always loving her one liners and the way she always commanded attention when she was on screen. I honestly forgot about her for a minute until I saw her on “Blackish”. Although I feel like she’s kind of playing WIll’s auntie at an older age on this show, I still love it. I don’t know the original plan of the show, but it feels like she was an ancillary character who morphed into a lead and one of the most loved on the show.
She’s had a long career filled with highlights like working on Broadway and being a backup singer for Bette Middler. She’s honestly one of those people that when you Google her, you’re hit with a feeling of “Oh right, she WAS in ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It” and ‘Sister Act” She’s been steadily working and out here collecting checks left and right, which is hard enough for a woman of a certain again, and damn near impossible for a Black woman of a certain age. You guys, she is even listed as having appeared on “Friends” which is one of the whitest TV shows of all time. Talk about breaking down barriers!
I think what’s helped me fall in love with her even more, are these videos she’s been posting on social media. She’s like my imaginary, drunken (pretty sure she’s sober though), foul mouthed auntie, and I love it. The videos are funny, filled with good singing, and highly quotable. For blessing the youth out here in these streets with lyrical gems, I salute Jenifer Lewis and shine my BHM spotlight upon her.
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