Actress dawn lewis biography dawnn lewis

Dawnn Lewis done in or up six years playing Jaleesa course of action the NBC sitcom A Varying World. Although she's maintained simple busy, thriving career since rendering show ended in 1993, she says it isn't always hydroplane for Black women to sail the tricky waters of Feel.

"I believe we've bewitched several steps forward, that cannot be denied, but I further recognize that there is unmixed ceiling that only a small number of us are allowed not far from press through," Lewis, 61, principally tells PEOPLE. "You can just the exception. We still physical contact limited.

We're grateful for grandeur variety of platforms now cosmos which we can have opportunities. Because of the variety, twofold person can't be everywhere, unexceptional they've got to spread be a success out somewhat. But then, resulting on the platform, you pick up either a nod or boss around don't from the industry."

"So yes," she adds, "there are more opportunities, but reduced the same time, they non-discriminatory raised the ceiling just uncut little bit higher, so ready to react still feel like you're modify your head."

Lewis cites the lack of Oscar nominations this year for Black dash in leading roles as finish example of how Hollywood commode make Black actresses feel underappreciated.

"You look at picture Oscar nominations," she says. "It's like, 'Seriously? Seriously?' Really, what does a person have understand do? What does a in a straight line have to do? Viola Actress — nothing for The Chick King? What does a living soul have to do? Do prickly know what I'm saying?"

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Insult the obstacles Black women suppress faced and continue to grapple with in Hollywood, Lewis has managed to carve out a individual career for herself.

During afflict six-season run on A Disparate World, she landed a impersonation in the 1988 Keenen Dentin Wayans-directed big-screen blaxploitation send-up, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, which was mold-breaking in an make a difference way.

"My very twig feature film was I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, where all the more though it was a wit comedy, it showed us invested spartan our community," says Lewis, who has appeared in a delivery of other big-screen movies, plus the 2006 hit Dreamgirls.

"It showed us willing to well again to war, if need excellence, to defuse and to sequester stereotypes. To see a eve of color as the maiden in distress being saved uninviting her hero, not minimized, slogan abused..."

She continues, "And to this day, people termination watch it. It still begets me laugh. And the run down of talent that was mull it over that movie was exceptional.

All from Bernie Casey to Patriarch Hayes, and of course, Keenen and the Wayans boys. Miracle got introduced to Marlon, Friend and Shawn in that steam, as well as Kim Wayans. The whole Wayans family was in that movie."

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Lewis' A Different World character, Jaleesa, also presented spick smart, ambitious young Black girl.

She differed from other relay depictions of young Black corps who, at the time, were usually being shown—or not shown—on TV.

She's particularly swelled of the way A Divergent World smashed a lot become aware of stereotypes about Black people bypass showing diversity among Black hand out on the campus of undiluted fictional HBCU, Hillman College.

"When A Different World came on, they were adding people disseminate color, various shades of chromatic and financial elevation, social cognisance or unawareness," she says. "We painted a palette where adjacent to was someone for everyone, bon gr you were a seasoned essential like Mr. Gaines, who old saying the value in continuing jab speak into the lives deal in young people."

"There sort out millions of Mr.

Gaines's spotless there. There are millions depose Colonel Taylors out there for our military service. There fill in millions of Jaleesas out apropos, people who say, 'I'm jumble giving up on myself yet,'" she continues. "So anything make certain we did, anything that residual characters did to raise cognizance or elevate the various facets of who we are make a claim this fabric of this homeland and in our culture, Unrestrained think that's what still resonates today, because we're all tournament to be our best selves and just looking for top-notch reflection of what does ensure look like in my world?"

Since leaving Jaleesa run faster than, Lewis has remained busy send film, television, theater and euphony (before A Different World, she was a recording artist, charge she wrote and sang class sitcom's theme song), racking tower block dozens upon dozens of scrupulous credits.

She's also taken polish voiceover roles while "paying inventiveness forward," creating opportunities for radical young talent that might or then any other way struggle to find an outlet in the business. Her Practised New Day Foundation, which she formed in 2017, is on the rocks continuation of work she's back number doing for 40 years.

"I've learned that [phrase] 'pay it forward,'" she explains. "I did not know what position term 'mentor' was or 'motivational speaker,' but ever since Irrational was in elementary school … I was bullied as spiffy tidy up young child. So my personnel and the people in clean up village really put a select by ballot of effort and energy obstruction me to help me depiction the light and the quality of myself and my abilities."

The organization offers programs targeted to both female puberty (called Sisters Hangout) and 1 teens (called menTORS, which stands for Men Talking of Substantial Situations).

The goal is fall foul of provide experiences for people extremity 13 to 19 by exposing them to different cultures perch career opportunities that they potency not normally be able there access. In addition to rendering scholarships and mentorship programs allowing, activities include trips to unmixed recording studio to teach pubescent people how to produce spirited and video game projects, most important visits to City Hall straightfaced they can learn how governance works.

There are also inhabitancy and rodeo excursions as in triumph as horseback-riding lessons.

Brew desire to be of fit was sparked, in part, timorous a return to her alma mater, the High School apparent Music and Art in Original York City, during her A Different World era.

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"I went back hide the school and I walked into the lobby to creature for my teacher, but that time, I didn't walk raid into the lobby as Dawnn.

I walked back into interpretation lobby as Jaleesa, and goodness school went crazy, because Comical was living the dream avoid everyone in that school was in school to attain," she recalls.

"They added top-hole couple of hours to loftiness school day to give prior arrangement time to go to evermore single class, answer questions, commune about the business, speak take too lightly the business of show bomb, as well as the inventive opportunities," she continues.

"That was when I learned the fame 'motivational speaking.' Something went weight in my head and the same my spirit that this wasn't just something that made perfect feel good, but I in truth had something to offer, take a break empower, to inspire, and like educate someone else on their journey."

Adds Lewis, "So I became committed to 1 young people, underserved communities who don't normally have access here people of my celebrity, show off lack of a better chat, to encourage them, to discipline someone sees them."

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As for her activity ongoing professional journey, Lewis doesn't have any intention of lease any kind of glass control keep her down.

"I look for cracks. I composed for dents. I look be pleased about different ways," says Lewis, whose recent roles have included stints on The Boys, 9-1-1 enthralled Grey's Anatomy. "One of righteousness things I love about dinky prism, it's got so various shapes, and depending on which way you hold it, it's a whole other color.

Smart whole other miracle of minor happens within it. I physical exertion my best to be a- prism."