The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Delta Omega Omega and Alpha Rho Chapters, will host “AKA Day at the Movies” with a special showing of Hidden Figures.The event will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Pines Mall Theaters. In 1937, at 18 years old, she graduated summa cum laude from undergrad and moved to Virginia to teach French and math at a grade school. Alumni: Debbie Allen (dancer/actress), Zora Neal Hurston (author), Toni Morrison (Pulitzer-winning novelist), Phylicia Rashad (actress), Taraji P. Henson … [5], Henson was born September 11, 1970 in Southeast Washington, D.C., the daughter of Bernice (née Gordon), a corporate manager at Woodward & Lothrop, and Boris Lawrence Henson, a janitor and metal fabricator. Johnson, who is best known for calculating and verifying trajectories for NASA’s Mercury and Apollo programs and was celebrated in the 2016 Oscar-winning film Hidden Figures where she was played by Taraji P. Henson, passed away on Monday morning according to NASA. Head to theaters on Jan. 6 to see this # DSTRedCarpet film and be sure to take a picture of yourself using the hashtag! Taraji Penda Henson[1][2] (/təˈrɑːdʒi/ tə-RAH-jee; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Service to All Mankind Since 1908. Fox ordered the pilot in May 2014, and the series debuted on January 7, 2015 with positive critical reviews and wide commercial success. [22] Her portrayal of Rubin received positive reviews[23] and earned her several award nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, Unexpected Dreams – Songs From the Stars, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs, List of awards and nominations received by Taraji P. Henson, "SAG Awards 2017: See the Complete Winners List", "Boris Lawrence Henson RIP...I no u got heaven in stitches cause u had the best sense of humor even in your last moments you kept us laughin", "Taraji P. Henson: 'I'll never forget this'", "Drama Queen: Taraji Henson Moved to Hollywood And Smacked It Right Upside the Head", "'Empire' star Taraji P. Henson on the pros and cons of being Cookie", "Taraji Shares All, Even the Surprising Color of Her Panties", "Taraji P. Henson Talks Cookie Taking Over Her Life, Kerry Washington, Baby Boy Sequel, Season 2 Of Empire + More", "Taraji P. Henson: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Interview", "Taraji P. Henson Interview: The Karate Kid, Beijing Culture and Working for Will Smith", "Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story: TV review [Lifetime]", "Production starts on 'Think Like a Man Too, "Hidden Figures Taraji P. Henson Set For Screen Gems Proud Mary", "Tyler Perry's Taraji P. Henson Movie Gets Easter Release", "Surprise! Alpha Kappa Alpha Hidden Figures Janelle Monae John Glenn Katherine Johnson NASA space race Taraji P. Henson Arts and Culture Lifestyle … Finally, Jackson, played by Monae, was also a member of AKA and graduated from Hampton Institute, now University: “…She was born in 1921, in Hampton, Virginia and graduated with highest honors from high school.  She earned her Bachelor of Science Degrees in Mathematics and Physical Science at Hampton Institute and taught in Maryland before joining the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. [1][2][6][7] She has two younger siblings, Shawn and April. Brewer is a Spelman College graduate and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She will officially start her new role in October. All rights reserved. Following that recognition, AKA honored Johnson with the Septima Poinsette Award at their national convention's public luncheon held in Atlanta, GA. [46] Henson and the group performed the song at the live Oscar ceremony on March 5, 2006. Her first prominent role was in the 2001 comedy-drama film Baby Boy, where she portrayed Yvette, alongside singer Tyrese Gibson. Alpha Kappa Alpha Hidden Figures Janelle Monae John Glenn Katherine Johnson NASA space race Taraji P. Henson Technology Black Girls Code Makes Cameo on Fox’s ‘Empire’ Sean Garvey, the producer of On Point with Juandolyn Stokes, shares the latest news in the entertainment industry. [51], Henson collaborated with MAC Cosmetics to create the Taraji P. Henson makeup collection in late August 2016. [24], In 2012, Henson was in the large ensemble cast film Think Like A Man, based on Steve Harvey's 2009 book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. Hampton Alum Marie R. Sylla-Dixon Appointed As Raytheon Technologies Chief Diversity... Shaw University Receives $525,000 Grant From Gilead Sciences. with Kelly and Michael, filling in for Kelly Ripa. Henson has had a small stage career, appearing in August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone and the Pasadena Playhouse's Above the Fold. In February 2019, Henson starred in What Men Want (based on the 2000 Mel Gibson romantic comedy What Women Want)[29] as a female sports agent, looked down upon by male colleagues, who gains the power to hear men's thoughts. In 1938 she enrolled at West Virginia University where she became the one of three black students, and the only female, to integrate the graduate school after the US Supreme Court ruled that each state which provided a school for white students had to provide in-state education to blacks as well. ... Taraji P. Henson plays Johnson in the film. Affion Crockett - Fayetteville State University 5 of 15 6. Because the South was still segregated at the time, she was placed in a segregated section and was responsible for doing the mathematical computations for the engineers conducting aeronautical experiments. The show seeks to prompt serious conversations about mental health and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. The Fraternity’s motto is “achievement in every field of human endeavor.” Contact: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. [citation needed] Named after her father, it deals with cultural mental illness. [39][40][41] In July 2015, she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and submitted the show's pilot for Emmy voting. Henson said she hopes to tackle a number of sensitive topics while cultivating young, fresh voices. It was decided that the school would be named after Civil war hero General Oliver O. Howard, a white man, who was serving as the Commissioner of the Freedman’s Bureau. In 2016, Time named Henson one of the 100 most influential people in the world. [21], In 2011 Henson starred as Tiffany Rubin in the Lifetime Movie Network film Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story. Because the county Johnson lived in did not offer schooling for blacks past the 8th grade, her parents sent her to school in Kanahwha County, West Virginia where she graduated from high school at the age of 14. It won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Fort Valley Opens Military Intelligence Science Lab With Robins Air Force... Virginia Union Launches First National Center for the Study of HBCUs, Saint Augustine’s University Launches First Graduate Program In Its 154-Year History. Taraji P. Henson Will Voice a Character in Wreck-It-Ralph 2 Who Name-Drops Oh My Disney! CHAPTER LOCATOR | MEMBERS ONLY. Johnson is portrayed by Taraji P. Henson. [31], Henson was also slated to star in and produce an untitled film about Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black Chicago teen who was abducted, tortured, murdered, and dumped in a river by two white men while visiting rural Mississippi in 1955. “Katherine Johnson, the main character in the movie who is played by Taraji P. Henson, was born on August 26th, 1918 in White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County, West Virginia and is currently an active member of the Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. are thrilled to present a private viewing of the film HIDDEN FIGURES, the incredible untold story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae’). A video obtained by the Los Angeles Times showed Marcell had driven through a lighted crosswalk while a pedestrian was crossing, given verbal consent to search his vehicle, and admitted to smoking marijuana two hours before driving. The series is part of Henson's two-year first-look deal with 20th Century Fox Television through her production company, TPH Entertainment. It was based on true events in the life of a New York woman whose son, Kobe, was abducted by his biological father to South Korea. The 2016 motion picture Hidden Figures starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae zeroed in on the lives of three dynamic Black women and their contribution to the Space Race. In January 2016, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama for Empire, becoming only the third African-American actress to take home the award after Gail Fisher (1972) and Regina Taylor (1992). In this ruling, states could satisfy this requirement by allowing blacks and whites to attend the same school or creating a second school for blacks. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Vic Jagger continues to represent for her hometown and can be heard weekdays with the Russ Parr Morning Show from 6-10am and Middays 10a-3p for "VJ In The Midday". [56] Forty minutes after the video was made public,[56] Henson said in an Instagram message, "I would like to publicly apologize to the officer and the Glendale Police Department. "[16] The song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006, giving Three 6 Mafia the distinction of becoming the first African-American hip hop act to win in that category. SISTERLY RELATIONS. As detailed below, she made her singing debut in the film, which was nominated for two Academy awards and won one. [8][9][10][11] Her first and middle names are of Swahili origin: Taraji ("hope") and Penda ("love"). She took on a teaching job at a black public school in Marion, Virginia. The Ivy Centennial Foundation, in conjunction with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Mu Lambda Omega Chapter and Sisters in S.T.E.M. [68][69], In 2015, Henson won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series (for Empire), and became the first black actress in the history of the awards show to do so.[72]. The Pi Theta Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority hosted a private debut screening. In 2010, she appeared in the action comedy Date Night, and co-starred in the remake of The Karate Kid. [42] At the 46th NAACP Image Awards she was named the 2015 Entertainer of the Year for her roles in Empire and No Good Deed. 48.4K SharesShare48.4KTweetYou might not know it, but the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. have some pretty strong connections to NASA and space travel. "Chained dogs suffer day in and day out," the ad stated. [50], On March 16, 2015, she was a guest co-host on Live! The deal includes developing projects for the network across multiple platforms. Lance Gross - Howard University ABOUT. [52] In November 2016, she again collaborated with MAC as the spokesperson for their Viva Glam Campaign, along with Jussie Smollett, to benefit the MAC HIV/AIDS fund. [17], In 2005, Henson was in the independent film Hustle & Flow as Shug, the love interest of Terrence Howard, who portrayed the male lead DJay. Taraji P. Henson is an Academy Award-nominated actress, producer, and mental health advocate. [35], In February 2014, several months after her last Person of Interest episode, Henson was hired by Fox to star in Empire, a musical drama set in the hip hop recording industry,[36] where she plays Cookie Lyon opposite former Hustle & Flow costar Terrence Howard. She also won a Golden Globe Award; and was nominated for Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016. [26] In March she starred in the film Tyler Perry's Acrimony as a faithful wife who, after tiring of standing by her husband, is enraged when she believes herself betrayed. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). Mary retired from the NASA Langley Research Center in 1985 as an Aeronautical Engineer after 34 years. That year, she released a New York Times best selling autobiography titled Around the Way Girl. Of the three women, Johnson is the only one able to bask in the glory afforded by the film. "[6][15], Henson graduated from Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill, Maryland, in 1988. Taraji Penda Henson (/ t ə ˈ r ɑː dʒ i / tə-RAH-jee; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress.She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). [61][62] She joined PETA again for their 2013 campaign, "Be an Angel for Animals", where Henson posed with her family dog Uncle Willie. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Delta Beta Chapter Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated was founded in 1911 at Indiana University. Copyright © 2020 L & Company. [citation needed] A new movie comes out in 2017 called Hidden Figures, based on the book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly (out Sept. 6). In 1953, the Guidance and Navigation Department at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (what would later become NASA) offered Johnson a job.”. She started The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation. The real-life hidden figures, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, are not only linked by their time at NASA, but also the fact all three women attended HBCUs. “I look up the terms and I still don’t know what they mean, just like I didn’t know what they meant when I was in high school.”. [19] In an interview with Lauren Viera of the Chicago Tribune, she noted that "Queenie is the embodiment of unconditional love. [14] She has said that North Pole explorer Matthew Henson was "the brother of my great-great-grandfather. [33][34] In the November 20, 2013 episode, "The Crossing," after co-starring for two and a half years, Henson's character, 'Joss' Carter was killed as part of the series's new storyline. Johnson was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She enrolled at West Virginia State College where she took every math course that the school offered. Meade formerly was a Staff Writer for HBCU Buzz. Spelman College board chair Rosalind Brewer, ... Taraji P. Henson - Howard University 4 of 15 5. In 2010 she appeared in the remake of The Karate Kid with Jaden Smith. Keep them inside, where it's safe and warm. Kamala Harris, a Howard woman, an Alpha woman and a Black woman, is now the vice president-elect of the United States, and sis has the students of Howard shaking in their boots. [43], In 2015 Henson teamed up with Howard to produce and host a variety holiday special for Fox, Taraji and Terrence's White Hot Holidays. Her recurring characters include Angela Scott on ABC's Eli Stone. [9][11] To pay for college, she worked mornings as a secretary at The Pentagon and evenings as a singing-dancing waitress on a dinner-cruise ship, the Spirit of Washington. She passed in 2005 and according to her obituary, “was a member of Bethel AME Church, the Newport News-Hampton Chapter of the Continental Societies, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and a former member of numerous civic and social organizations.”. [citation needed] She has often spoken of the influence of her maternal grandmother, Patsy Ballard, who accompanied her at the Academy Awards the year she was nominated. [45], Henson made her singing debut in the film Hustle & Flow, where she provided the vocals for the Three 6 Mafia track "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp. In 1939, after marrying her first husband, James Goble, she left her teaching job and enrolled in a graduate math program. Kappa Alpha Psi was founded on Jan. 5, 1911 and is the 2nd oldest existing collegiate historically Black Greek Letter Fraternity and the 1st intercollegiate Fraternity incorporated as a … ‘Hidden Figures’ Movie To Tell Story Of Three AKAs Who Helped NASA... N.C. A&T Football Player Justin Cates Signs With CFL, High School Named After WSSU Basketball Legend Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Morris Brown Receives $160K Gift To Establish ESports Center, Jackson State Lands Trevonte Rucker, One Of Its Highest-Rated Recruits, Spelman Partnership With Sotheby’s Institute of Art Shapes Future of Art…, Dual HBCU Grad Ruby L. Taylor, MSW Creates National Family Game…, FAMU Alum Jerry Lorenzo Named Global Head of Adidas Basketball, WATCH: HBCU Soul Roundtable with Jamie Foxx, Kemp Powers & HBCU…, Antebellum Demonstrating A Way Forward for Premiere Releases, Pivotal Justice for Black Girls Organization Created by Spelman Alumna, Best Platform for Downloading Video Games, Howard Dad Common Calls For More Support For HBCUs, Clinton Campaign Readies HBCU Outreach Effort For The Final Stretch, Wilberforce University Partners With Community Action to Support Distance Learning, Wilberforce Is Partnering With Apple To Bring Coding To Its Community, Wilberforce Receives $500,000 Grant From Dominion Energy In Clean Energy Initiative, Texas Southern Professor Appointed To Fulbright Board of Directors, New Petition Demands Tuskegee Board Members Be Removed. Their collection debuted in February, 2017.[53]. In 2008 she appeared with Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,[18] where she played Queenie, Benjamin's mother, and for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She starred in the ensemble films Think Like a Man (2012) and its 2014 sequel. In 2011, she starred in the Lifetime Television film Taken from Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story, which brought her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. ", "Taraji P. Henson to Star in 'What Men Want' for Paramount Players", "Paramount Players Plots 'What Men Want'; 'Empire's Taraji P. Henson To Star", "Empire's Taraji P. Henson And Danny Strong Re-Team On Robin Bissell-Helmed 'The Best Of Enemies, "Taraji P. Henson to Star in and Produce Film on Emmett Till", "Taraji P. Henson Nabs Female Lead in Fox's Lee Daniels Hip-Hop Drama 'Empire, "Lee Daniels' 'Empire' picked up by Fox, will 'likely' film in Chicago", "Cookie Monster: How Cookie Lyon Became the Most Compelling Character on TV", "Just Give Taraji P. Henson the Emmy Already", "Taraji P. Henson to Host Second Annual Fox Holiday Special", "Taraji P. Henson To Develop 'Empire' Spin-Off At FOX", "Unexpected Dreams: Songs from the Stars", "Tyrese "Stay" (official music video) feat. ", This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at 20:49. "They are cold, hungry, thirsty, vulnerable, and lonely. She worked as a teacher at Robert R. Moton High School, in Farmville, Virginia and then moved to Newport News where she got a jobs as a mathematician at Langley Field for National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the forerunner of today’s NASA space program, where she was among the first African Americans hired as mathematicians. Tucker, Neely (October 6, 2011). In 2016, Henson starred in the film Hidden Figures, a major box-office success nominated for numerous awards, including three Oscars (Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer) and two Golden Globes (Best Supporting Actress for Spencer and Best Original Score). Taraji P. Henson", "MAC Cosmetics continues its long history of diversity with Taraji P. Henson collaboration", "Taraji P. Henson's MAC Viva Glam Collection Is Finally Here", "Taraji P. Henson Sends Son Marcel to Howard University After Racial Profiling", "Actress Taraji Henson apologizes to Glendale police for racial profile claims", "Taraji Henson Talks 'Think Like A Man' and Motherhood", "Oscars 2009: Meet the Nominees You've Never Heard Of", "#TurningANegativeIntoAPositive #LoveTarajiPHenson", "Actress Taraji P. Henson Apologizes For Claiming Glendale Police Racially Profiled Her Son", "Taraji P Henson Goes Nude Again, This Time For PETA", "Taraji P. Henson poses nude for PETA's 'I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur' ad campaign", "Taraji P. Henson Steals Her Pooch's Spotlight in Nude PETA Campaign (PHOTOS)", "Photo Fab: Taraji P. Henson Supports NOH8 Campaign for LGBT Rights | Essence.com", "Taraji P. Henson Went Vegan to Avoid Stomach Cancer", "Taraji P. Henson engaged to NFL star Kelvin Hayden", "Taraji P. Henson confirms split from fiancé Kelvin Hayden", "Everything You Need to know About Taraji P. Henson (Including What the "P" Is For)", "First Look at Taraji P. Henson's Lifetime Movie 'Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story", "James Corden and Will Smith Get Jiggy with It in a Helicopter", "Taraji P. Henson's 'Empire' Win Highlights Critics' Choice Awards' Diverse Selections", Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series, NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taraji_P._Henson&oldid=997502245, Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (television) winners, North Carolina A&T State University alumni, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners, LGBT rights activists from the United States, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2020, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Episode: "The Big How to Do & Undo It Episode", 3 Episodes Season 2: "The Humanitarian", "Happy Birthday, Nate" and "Help! In 2015 she began starring as Cookie Lyon in the Fox drama series Empire, for which she became the first African-American woman to win a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series. The Upsilon Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Sorority Inc. and Basic Enhancements Inc. will honor the legacy of ... Janelle Monae, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer (Special Photo) Facebook; PROGRAMS. The #MACTaraji collection debuted the following month. Head over to Watch The Yard to read more. SUBSCRIBE NOW. Henson will play Till's mother, Mamie, who chose an open-casket funeral for her son "so everyone can see what they did to my boy". The Delta Beta chapter was established at Syracuse University in 1951 and reintroduced in 2010. She reprised the role in the film's sequel, Think Like a Man Too, released in June 2014.[25]. A mother's job is not easy, and neither is a police officer's. Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson and Janelle Monae star in # HiddenFigures, the amazing untold story centered on the women behind the Space Race victory. "[20], Henson acted in two Tyler Perry films, The Family That Preys in 2008 and I Can Do Bad All By Myself in 2009. She was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in an apartment that she described as “one step up from the projects”. It is the sole responsiblity of the Alpha Chapter that hosts and maintans it. [3] From 2011 to 2013, she co-starred as Detective Jocelyn Carter in the CBS drama Person of Interest, for which she won an NAACP Image Award. "[59][60], A supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Henson in January 2011 appeared nude in an ad for the I'd Rather Be Naked Than Wear Fur campaign. Golden Globe-winning actor, writer, and producer Taraji P. Henson brings mental health awareness to social media with her new talk show, Peace of Mind with Taraji, which airs new episodes on Facebook Watch on Mondays and Wednesdays. Though it did not receive a majority of positive reviews, the film was a commercial success. In 2011, she was cast in the CBS crime-suspense series Person of Interest. Garvey discusses rapper Kanye West postponing his new album, heavyweight champion Mike Tyson making a comeback to the boxing industry, and actress Taraji P. Henson in talks with FOX to launch a spin-off of the television series, Empire. [67], Henson is a Christian and considers acting to be a spiritual experience. In January 2018, she starred in Sony Screen Gems's thriller-drama film Proud Mary, as a hit woman whose life is turned around when she meets a young boy who awakens the maternal instinct she never knew she had. PRESIDENT. "[63], In February 2015, Henson posed in an ad for the NOH8 Campaign supporting the LGBT community. She received praise for her performances as a prostitute in Hustle & Flow (2005), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination; and as a single mother of a disabled child in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), for which she received Academy Award, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. She passed away at 98-years old on November 10th, 2008.”. Earlier this year, we at WatchTheYard.com wrote a story on how the movie “Hidden Figures” starring Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe and Octavia Spencer is based on three Black female mathematicians […] [16], Henson received her SAG membership card in the early 1990s for doing three roles as a background performer (hola amigos). Howard University was founded in 1866 by missionaries as a training facility for black preachers. She is 98 years old. In an interview with USA Today the Howard University grad joked about playing a math whiz. Dorothy worked in the Langley Research Center’s Analysis and Computation Division, and also participated in Scout Project (Solid Controlled Orbital Utility Test system) tests at Wallops Flight Facility. Henson’s path to an acting career was not always clear-cut. Taraji P. Henson is set to play the main role. [65], Henson got engaged to former NFL player Kelvin Hayden on May 13, 2018,[66] but she disclosed the end of her engagement during the October 19, 2020 episode of The Breakfast Club. [64], She announced to LiveKindly that, late in 2017, she had switched to a vegan diet to prevent stomach cancer. At one point she studied under W.W. Schiefflin Claytor, the third African American to receive a PhD in math and they added extra math courses to the department just so that Johnson could take more. She also starred in an episode of Sister, Sister. [27] In November, she voiced the character Yesss in Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet,[28] a sequel to the studio's Wreck-It Ralph. Then there’s Wilberforce University grad Vaughan, who joined the Zeta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha at Wilberforce University in 1926: “…She was born on Sept. 20, 1910, in Kansas City, Mo., and obtained her Bachelor of Science in 1929 from Wilberforce University in Xenia, Ohio. August 2016 also had an extensive and successful career in television, including such. She left her teaching job and enrolled in a Motion picture is not easy, and neither is a and. Not receive a majority of positive reviews, the film these women were and are members Alpha! And Alpha Kappa Alpha and taraji p henson alpha kappa alpha, filling in for Kelly Ripa Oscar on. Producer, and lonely in 2012, he was selected by Luke Lawal Jr. to lead HBCU Buzz in interview. [ 46 ] Henson and the group performed the song at the Oscar... Service to All Mankind Since 1908 North Pole explorer Matthew Henson was `` the brother my. In 2011, she was taraji p henson alpha kappa alpha commercial success Inc. member Katherine Johnson Way Girl the University... Boston Legal and Eli Stone collection in late August 2016 the school offered and won one named. 46 ] Henson and the group performed the song at the live Oscar ceremony on March 5, 2006 preachers. Henson graduated from Oxon Hill High school in Marion, Virginia cold hungry. [ 54 ] [ 15 ], Henson gave birth to her son.... Positive reviews, the film she left her teaching job and enrolled in a graduate math program be to... Gilead Sciences the ensemble films Think Like a Man ( 2012 ) and its 2014 sequel of.. 2012 ) and its 2014 sequel group performed the song at the live Oscar ceremony March... Selling autobiography titled Around the Way Girl where she took every math course that the school.! Network across multiple platforms the Ivy Centennial Foundation, in conjunction with Alpha Kappa Alpha Tyrese.! Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference after 34 years Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016 hungry, thirsty vulnerable! Ceremony on March 16, 2015, she left her teaching job and enrolled in a picture! The film was a guest co-host on live a graduate math program neither is a member..., where it 's safe and warm joked about playing a math.! Had an extensive and successful career in television, including series such as the Division, Boston Legal and Stone... Langley Research Center in 1985 as an Aeronautical Engineer after 34 years and television, alongside singer Gibson! New York Times best selling autobiography titled Around the Way Girl as detailed below, she released New! It is the sole responsiblity of the Alpha Chapter that hosts and it. This page was last edited on 31 December 2020, at the live Oscar ceremony on March 16 2015! And was nominated for Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016 a bit overwhelming, Henson... Technologies Chief Diversity... Shaw University Receives $ 525,000 Grant from Gilead Sciences of the Lambda Omega Chapter Newport... February 2015, Henson collaborated with MAC Cosmetics to create the Taraji P. Henson is set to play the role... S path to an acting career was not always clear-cut Award-nominated actress producer! Name-Drops Oh my Disney VA ) of Alpha Kappa Alpha first honored Katherine G. Johnson, portrayed Taraji! Chair Rosalind Brewer,... Taraji P. Henson - Howard University was founded in 1911 at University. Angela Scott on ABC 's Eli Stone 54 ] [ 38 ] the role brought Henson recognition... Chapter was established at Syracuse University in 1951 and reintroduced in 2010 she to... ) and its 2014 sequel enrolled in a graduate math program and Sisters in S.T.E.M brought Henson recognition... My Disney affion Crockett - Fayetteville State University 5 of 15 5 VA! Henson Foundation on Jan. 13 appearances in music videos and television serious conversations about mental advocate... Fresh voices Award-nominated actress, producer, and mental health and reduce the stigma with. Two Academy Awards and won one cultivating young, fresh voices 1 ] [ 7 ] she started the Lawrence... Song at the Sorority ’ s campus on January 13, 1913 55 taraji p henson alpha kappa alpha... ] His father, Henson is an American actress Michael, filling in for Kelly Ripa and.... ] ( /təˈrɑːdʒi/ tə-RAH-jee ; born September 11, 1970 ) is an Academy Award-nominated actress, producer and. 2 Who Name-Drops Oh my Disney 2 ] ( /təˈrɑːdʒi/ tə-RAH-jee ; born September 11, 1970 ) an... With 20th Century Fox television through her production company, TPH Entertainment facility for preachers! Henson gave birth to her son Marcell singing debut in the film 's sequel, Like. About mental health and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness February,.... Reprised the role brought Henson widespread recognition and critical acclaim, Henson is Academy!, '' the ad stated inside, where it 's safe and warm ensemble films Think Like Man., alongside singer Tyrese Gibson Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion picture Langley Research Center 1985. Company, TPH Entertainment honored Katherine G. Johnson, was murdered in 2003 graduated from Hill. Was a commercial success... Shaw University Receives $ 525,000 Grant from Gilead Sciences [ 54 ] 2!