One year ago, Denise Nicholas released her memoirs, Finding Home. For Women’s History Month, I was happy to interview her for a Beauty News NYC reflection on her fashion, beauty and style icon life to celebrate it.
In my working-class blue-collar roots, I had scarce Black teachers to show me that Black women can be educated into the white collar, “dress up” jobs that I only saw white people have in real life.
Before that, all I had was TV. They were scarcely there too. Enter Nicholas, preceding “Claire Huxtable” and more since in her commitment to play teachers, school counselors, politicians… She played many more parts including in movies, but these roles endeared her to me as an influence and role model.
“I loved “being” a guidance counselor or a city council lady. I liked the authority of these roles. I liked that they dressed conservatively. There is a layer of sensuality under that way of being.” -Denise Nicholas
The Hollywood legend and Civil Rights activist was long made an author by the quietly game-changing Agate Publishing headquartered near Chicago, which debuted her first novel Freshwater Road in 2005. I have special memories of the award-winning book and Ms. Nicholas, since we debuted as novelists in the same year. I didn’t think she’d show up when a special Chicago community theater invited us to do an author event @etacreativearts. She did.
I had forgotten she was a true thespian who began in theater, her safe inner child space like a library is mine. She stayed way after the event’s time ended and shared vivid memories of their early trailblazing with a theater co-founder.
Finding Home: A Memoir was such a luxurious treat I highly recommend. Nicholas gives every emotion in telling of her interesting and at-times tragedy-riddled Midwest Detroit family, savage white racism but also painful Black colorism, romance, acting and (of particular note to creatives in all fields) becoming a capable businessperson as a talent who happens to be a woman. If you are so inclined, you must hear Nicholas read the audiobook herself.
