As Women’s History Month closes, I had the opportunity to write and post my first article to the public. It was such an honor to write about five beautiful, strong, inspiring women who are redefining Hollywood. Whether it’s being an icon in the 1970s and is considered one of the very first female action stars, or An actress who chose not to be defined by her pregnancy and wanted to be the perfect working mother, they have broken barriers on and off the screen, not only as women but as black women. Let’s take some time to spotlight each incredible woman and their journeys in Hollywood.
Pam Grier
When you think of female action stars who do you normally think of? For me, before writing this article I would have said Nakia From Black Panther played by Lupita Nyong’o, Ripley from Aliens, and Sarah Conner from The Terminator franchise.
I was not too familiar with Pam Grier’s work before, but by researching for this article I discovered how important she was and how she broke stereotypes for black women in Hollywood.
Pam Gier stars in the second season of the popular American Black Horror anthology series “THEM: The Scare” premiering on Amazon Prime on April 25th, 2024.
Pam Grier and Deborah Ayorinde in Them: The Scare.
But before this series was even a thought, Grier rose to fame as an icon in the 1970s blaxploitation era. She got her start in acting to help her raise money for college to become a director or cinematographer and took smaller roles in exploitation films like “The Big Doll House” (1971) often these films are about women in prison in hypersexualized situations and are at the mercy of authority figures like wardens and prisons guards.
It was not until she starred in films like “Coffey” and “Foxy Brown” that changed how women, especially black women, were portrayed in films. These roles show that black women can be strong, and intelligent, and fight back against a system that was rigged against them. In contrast to her earlier roles, where women were often objectified. Coffey and Foxy Brown used their sexuality as a power and with charm and beauty, they outsmarted the male adversaries reclaiming their sexuality.
Off-screen, Grier stayed true to herself while making the movie “Coffey” by insisting on keeping her natural afro hairstyle. In interviews, she reflects on her iconic hair and remarked that “nobody could do anything with it,” advising the producers to let it be. Throughout the filming, she guided the production team on how to style her afro to keep up the continuity between shots. Grier also took inspiration from women in her own life, stating that Foxy Brown was inspired by her aunt. In Entertainment Weekly she states that she embodied the radical and aggressive spirit of Foxy Brown and that she was a woman ahead of her time.
S.Epatha Merkerson
Merkerson stars in the upcoming American drama “We Grown Now” which will be released nationwide on May 10th, 2024, But before this Merkerson starred in one of my favorite shows, “Law & Order” portraying Lieutenant Anita Van Buren.
She won this role after appearing on Law and Order Season 1 where she played a grieving mother. She then starred in 390 episodes of the show becoming the longest-running African American woman to hold a position of power over men on television. This paved the way for other women in the “Law & Order” franchise to follow in her footsteps, like Olivia Benson in “Law & Order SVU”. Merkerson’s versatility as an actress is evident through numerous nominations for awards and wins across television, film, and theater, including an Emmy win, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe. Along the way, she also explored her creative talents as a producer and director in her documentary “The Contradictions of Fair Hope” which sheds light on lesser-known topics in African American history, such as the benevolent societies formed by freed slaves after the Civil War.
Beyond her achievements in acting and producing, Merkerson has used her platform to bring awareness to important causes. After a personal health scare and witnessing the effects of smoking on loved ones, she became an advocate for organizations like the American Lung Association, also serving as a host of “Find Our Missing”, a reenactment series highlighting cases of missing people of color.
Jurnee Smollett
Jurnee Smollet in “We Grown Now”
Jurnne Smollet is one of my favorite actresses and I was so excited to cover her in this article. One of my favorite roles was Leti from “Lovecraft Country” not only was she great in the role and was also a strong female lead, but “Lovecraft Country” will always be memorable to me since that was the first series I watched with my partner and pulled an all-nighter to complete it.
Now she is set to star alongside Merkerson in the upcoming film “We Grown Now,” slated for release on April 19th, 2024 in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The film primarily follows best friends Malik and Eric as they navigate the joys and hardships of life in the Cabrini-Green projects in 1992. However, it also shows the journey of Dolores, a devoted mother striving to navigate the journey of motherhood.
Smollett, just like Dolores, is also navigating a new journey through motherhood. When she became pregnant she did not want to be defined by her pregnancy and still wanted to continue working, to show that pregnancy would not inhibit her performance on the job. With that, during that time, she completed filming the second season of “The Underground”. And just 18 months after her son Hunter’s birth, she returned to work full-time. Like most new and working mothers, she was determined to “do it all”, this would mean that she brought her son on set, enduring 16-hour week workdays and feeding in between shots. Even though she was trying to do it all, she still experienced “mom guilt” when leaving for work and running herself on empty trying to be a perfect mother.
However like most of us in 2020 she would experience her biggest challenge yet…not only was going through a divorce with Josiah Bell, but the pandemic started and quarantine began. Smollett returned home after shooting “Birds of Prey” and “Lovecraft Country” back to back. She was ready for the fact that now she would have uninterrupted mother-and-son time. Smollett has stated in previous articles that she feels empowered being a mother and is learning so much from Hunter and is excited to watch him grow and be happy. By not worrying anymore about being perfect, she is taking the time to slow down and embrace every moment of motherhood.
Deborah Ayorinde:
Next on the list is Deborah Ayorinde, the London-born actress who starred in the first season of “THEM” as Liva Lucky Emory. She will now return in the new season playing homicide detective Dawn Reeve.
Ayorinde’s passion for acting started during her time at Howard University’s John H Johnson School of Communication. Her talent for acting shone brightly, earning her the Paul Robeson Best Actress award in a short film she wrote and directed herself. This led to her extended filmography which includes various titles such as “Luke Cage” “Girls Trip”, and “Riches”. In 2019, Ayorinde’s star continued to rise with her involvement in the biopic “Harriet,” where she starred alongside Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monáe.
Beyond her acting career, Ayorinde also is using her platform for advocacy and philanthropy. She supports charities like Dress for Success, the International Rescue Committee, and Black Girls Rock.
Lupita Nyong’o
And lastly, Nyong’o rounds out this group of award-winning actresses. She returns to the horror genre with the upcoming film “A Quiet Place: Day One” which is set to release on June 28th, 2024, where her versatile talent will once again captivate audiences.
Lupita Nyong’o is an Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress for “12 Years of Slave ” becoming the very first woman to win from Mexico and Kenya and went on to show her acting talents in different genres of film. From her chilling performance as Aledline and the tethered in Jordan Peele’s “US” to CGI voiceover works in “Star Wars” and “The Jungle Book,” and her work in the film I have first seen her in “Black Panther”.
Before her accomplishments as an actress, she studied the art of film and graduated from Hampshire College of Massachusetts, eventually earning her a spot at the Yale School of Drama.
During my research on Nyong’o, I discovered that in 2017 during the #MeToo movement, she made a point to speak up about her own story of harassment in Hollywood. Normally when this happens women are pressured to stay silent about what happened and can’t speak out because it would affect their careers. In a New York Times article, she stated “Now that we are speaking, let us never shut up about this kind of thing.” She continued, “I speak up to ensure that this misconduct does not receive a second chance. I speak up to contribute to ending the conspiracy of silence.” Bringing awareness to the #MeToo movement.
Branching out from acting and activism, Nyong’o also dipped into the realm of literature with her children’s book “Sulwe” which was released on October 15th, 2019. The story talks about the themes of colorism, which Nyong’o has opened up about with her struggle and the societal pressures on those with darker skin tones. “Sulwe” is inspired by her own experiences and tells the tale of acceptance in your own body and skin to instill in young readers or older readers to feel confident in their unique beauty.
While reflecting on this article, I learned a few things from their stories that resonated with me. I learned about the significant impact Grier made in the film industry for women. Merkerson is giving back to her community with her fame by providing voices to people who are missing or shedding light on aspects of history that many may not have known about. I learned about Ayorinde’s accomplishments as an actress as well as her charitable work. Additionally, I learned about Lupita’s book which teaches children how to love the skin they are in. I even discovered that Smollett was working on balancing motherhood and Hollywood while filming her most popular shows. These are just some of the many achievements they have accomplished, and I am sure that these women will continue to inspire many more women and future generations to come.