Legends Live Forever

On October 4, 2019, the world said goodbye to another television legend. Carol Diahann Johnson, better known as Diahann Carroll, passed away at the age of 84 years old due to a long fight with breast cancer.

Diahann Carroll was born in the Bronx and later moved to Harlem. She attended a performing arts school and by the time she was 15 years old, she was a professional model for Ebony magazine. In 1954, she starred in the historic movie, Carmen Jones, alongside Dorothy Dandridge.

She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in “No Strings,” playing an American fashion model living in Paris. Carroll was the first African American actress to star in her own prime time television series named Julia. She was also the first African American nominated for a prime time Emmy Award for the movie, Claudine. She also had a successful career in the 1980s as one of the main characters in the hit soap opera, Dynasty. Caroll also made a guest appearance in the show, A Different World. Carroll was known for her elegant beauty and style. Many African American actresses, such as Kerry Washington, credit Caroll for inspiring their careers. Tyler Perry, who recently opened a state of the art production studio, named one of the sound stages after Diahann Carroll. Caroll was also a philanthropist. She founded the Celebrity Action Council, which was a rehabilitation for women to help against alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. Her legacy speaks for itself.