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1996 was the year a particular generation was introduced to the talent of Sheryl Lee Ralph during the premiere of “Moesha.” During the show, she played a wisdom-filled stepmother who gripped our hearts with her relatability, candor, and witty banter. Her character, Dee, became a staple in the late ’90s and would foretell her continued impact on the culture. While “Moesha” may have been Ralph’s introduction to some, it is not how she got her start in the industry. Born in Connecticut, Ralph is of Jamaican descent and made her official onscreen debut in 1977, appearing in the Sidney Poitier-directed film “A Piece of the Action.” From that point, the now 66-year-old actress appeared in a range of television shows and films, tapping in with the culture for her short but impactful role in “Sister Act 2” and hitting the stage as Deena Jones in the Broadway play, “Dream Girls.” Ralph’s work in the industry is noteworthy, earning her several honors and awards. Most recently, the mother of...
At one point on Twitter, you’d often see jokes or memes after someone would go on a rant or on for a bit longer than 140 characters regarding something they may be passionate about. Then they’d wrap it all up with “Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.” And, while it’s not every day that you get to travel miles away to hear a real-life TED talk from billionaires like Bill Gates and even, the controversial Elon Musk, in April, that was the case for me. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to travel to Vancouver to attend TED2022, “A New Era.” At TED, I attended sessions that included topics like play, imagination, intelligence, and more, plus dinners that encouraged me to have tough conversations about capitalism with people who looked like me and some who didn’t. Going to an event like TED (which stands for “Technology, Entertainment, and Design”) not only forced me to participate in uncomfortable conversations but also self-care that included hand massages, meditation...