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Legendary actress, director and producer Phylicia Rashad was the guest speaker at the C-Suite Luncheon during the 24th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF). Started by Stephanie Tavares-Rance,
who co-founded MVAAFF along with her husband, Floyd Rance, the luncheon and its accompanying summit uplifts, supports and connects executives, business owners and women leaders of color.
This year’s luncheon, sponsored by AARP, focused on Rashad’s legacy — from “The Cosby Show” to more recent roles in “The Gilded Age” and the “Creed” movies — and the new study from AARP’s Movies for Grownups, “Bridging the Gap: The Path to More Authentic Portrayals of Black Adults in Movies and TV.” According to the study, Black adults attend movies and consume television and streaming content at higher rates than the general U.S. population. Moreover, the study found that audiences see older Black women as influential cultural figures, and when they are showcased on television, viewers feel more positive about aging.
When asked about her legacy, Rashad mentioned those closest to her. “My mother. My father, my grandparents, the communities in which they were born, and I was privileged to know as a child — that’s what I think about when I hear about legacy, because that’s what flows through,” she told AARP’s CEO, Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan.
Looking ahead, Rashad also explained how legacy continues. “It’s something that we become very conscious of. Something that we speak of consciously together. Something we now consciously convey to our young people,” she said. “But it’s really about the way we live. About the way we interact with each other. The way we hold ourselves, think of ourselves — this is what creates legacy. When it came time to play Lena Younger [in “A Raisin in the Sun”], I understood who the woman was. She was not a piece of furniture with a wig on it. She was a woman who knew how to grow things. And I knew that from my greater family. I am so proud of the legacy that has been handed to me. I am so proud of this heritage.”
Though Rashad is perhaps best known for her role as the iconic Clair Huxtable in “The Cosby Show,” she is currently acting in HBO’s “The Gilded Age” and Paramount+’s “Diarra From Detroit.” The Emmy-nominated actress also recently directed the Tony-winning Broadway play, “Purpose.”
“I love getting a script and going back into history,” she said. “I love learning because I’m looking at humanity and saying, ‘OK. We’ve done this a few times now. Let’s get it right now. Let’s get it right.’ And especially right now, being a human being is so important. I look for the humanity in every world. I’m not considering anything else, and I’m not thinking anything else. This is what my mother taught me. This for me is freedom. I am not circumscribed by anyone else’s idea.”
When asked how she feels about roles and shows that don’t acurately depict the Black experience she added, “And if there’s something on television that I don’t like, I simply don’t watch it.“
Reflecting on her extensive career, Rashad is most proud of the way her work highlights our collective humanity. Whether it’s “Ma Pop, Aunt Esther, Clair Huxtable or whoever,” Rashad said, “I want my work, more than anything else, to demonstrate that as human beings, we are much more alike than we could ever be different.”
