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| http://thehilltoponline.com/ |
It sometimes feels to me like the end of an era when someone
famous dies. I felt that way upon hearing of Diahann Carroll’s death this year
on October 4. News reports of her death brought in a flood of memories and I
emphasize memories.
It seems like ages ago that I was a college student at
Howard University in Washington, D.C. and truthfully, it was ages ago. As a sophomore
at the university I volunteered, as one of my extracurricular activities, to
report for my college newspaper, which was called The Hilltop.*
Diahann Carroll was in the city doing several evening shows
at a major hotel. So, I suggested to Michael Thelwell, The Hilltop’s
editor in chief,** that we feature Carroll in The
Hilltop. He agreed that I would write the article. I don’t really remember whom I
contacted to get the interview. But, several days later I had an interview with Carroll. We had a late morning meeting in her hotel room, and to my
knowledge, there was no one there, but the two of us.
It’s amazing to me now, looking back that, here she was, a well-known
star, and she agreed to an interview with me, a college student, in her hotel room.
I don’t remember what she wore, but I do remember that she
had a slight amount of light blue eyeshadow on. At the time, I thought that eyeshadow was only
worn at night, so I assumed her makeup was from her performance the night
before and she hadn't taken her makeup off. What did I know? I was 17 and not
at all worldly-wise.
I pulled out my pad and pencil and the interview was
underway. The interview lasted less than an hour, during which time, she was warm, soft-spoken and very gracious
and, she answered all of my questions. I learned that her real name was Carol
Diahann Johnson, which was something of a surprise, since my maiden name is also Johnson.
My interview with her took place at the height of the Civil
Rights Movement. She expressed optimism about race relations in the U.S. and
pointed to her own career and her interracial marriage as indicators that
things in America were changing and that doors for African Americans were
opening.
I had a camera with me and asked her if I could take a picture
of her for the article. She told me that it would be better if she sent me one.
I was relieved, because being such a newbie at taking photos professionally, I
wasn’t really sure how the photo would turn out.
I thanked her for the interview and that was the end of it,
except for the fact that I did get the photo several weeks later. It was a
headshot and I still remember what she looked like in the photo. The photo
arrived after my article was published, and being the collector that I am, who
throws few things away, I might still have it, along with the article that I
wrote about her.
I’ve never really thought of my interview with Diahann
Carroll until now. I am just thrilled that she accorded me the time. I walked
away from the interview feeling that the sky was the limit. Perhaps, the
interview I had with her played a role in my being selected that year by the
Hilltop staff as “The Outstanding Newcomer of the Year.”
It’s said that she was the first African American actress in a major role, in a movie or play, who was not cast as a
servant or as subservient in some way.
Through her accomplishments, Diahann Caroll showed that the
sky can be the limit. Thank you, Diahann, for being a real role model in many
ways.
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* The Hilltop, Howard University's award-winning student-run newspaper, was co-founded in 1924 by Zora Neale Hurston and Louis Eugene King. In 2005, it became the first the first HBCU newspaper to be published daily. See the paper's website at http://thehilltoponline.com/
** Among his many accomplishments, Michael Thelwell became the founding chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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* The Hilltop, Howard University's award-winning student-run newspaper, was co-founded in 1924 by Zora Neale Hurston and Louis Eugene King. In 2005, it became the first the first HBCU newspaper to be published daily. See the paper's website at http://thehilltoponline.com/
** Among his many accomplishments, Michael Thelwell became the founding chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
