On July 29, 2023, Dr. Vivian Ayers Allen celebrated a milestone—her a hundredth birthday. Mom to icons Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad, together with sons Hugh and Andrew Jr., the Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet and activist was celebrated by her closest household and buddies with bi-coastal occasions.
Throughout a latest dialog with Debbie Allen, the “Gray’s Anatomy” Government Producer shared with EBONY how particular it was to rejoice such a major birthday along with her mom.
“This has been one of the wonderful moments in all of our lives, to be right here with mother on her a hundredth birthday. We’re working to republish her guide, “Hawk”, that may quickly be obtainable to the entire world on debbieallendanceacademy.com,” Debbie Allen Shares. “It is a guide that could be a poem about man’s transcendence to a better degree of existence; it is how she’s raised us. She’s raised us to see ourselves within the universe, past the block we have been raised on. My mom is unimaginable. We had bi-coastal celebrations. Phylicia had one in South Carolina and I had one right here on the Rhimes Performing Arts Heart (Los Angeles). We had folks studying poetry; Phylicia learn, we had Angela Bassett, Jesse Williams and Alexis Floyd studying, too. It was simply wonderful.”
An unimaginable girl she is. Dr. Vivian Ayers Allen start her literary profession in 1952 when she revealed “Spice of Dawns”, a set of poems that was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. “Hawk,” an allegory of freedom made analogous to house flight, adopted and was revealed on July 11, 1957, simply 11 weeks earlier than the launch of Sputnik I. She additionally studied classical Greek at Rice College, Columbia College, and Princeton College. As well as, she has studied and translated texts on Mayan tradition and astronomy.
“Mommy is doing so properly, and it made her so comfortable. I simply can’t let you know what that looks like. Phylicia and I’ve such an enormous benchmark to dwell to date. I am simply making an attempt to remain wholesome, and so is Phylicia. We discuss this stuff so typically, it is how we’re in a position to proceed doing all of the issues that we do.”
To succeed in 100 years outdated is an accomplishment for anybody—regardless of your race. However for a Black girl to dwell by way of among the nation’s most darkish instances—Jim Crow Period and extra—but nonetheless make historical past and lift a few of Black tradition’s most iconic ladies, is one thing that ought to positively be applauded. However what’s the actual secret to life longevity? In line with the Debbie Allen Dance Academy founder, it is psychological capability.
“Mother was a mathematician. She was a kind of Hidden Figures ladies working at NASA; her poetry is written in stone at NASA. She has at all times used her thoughts. She was nonetheless doing her taxes up till six years in the past, I needed to inform her, “mother, relax!” I believe her psychological capability has led her to this golden age of 100. She’s had numerous challenges in her life, and we have lived by way of these challenges along with her. However on the finish of the day, there’s at all times been optimistic vitality. It doesn’t matter what, it’s important to assume optimistic ideas, and that was the world we grew up in. I believe that is why we are the people we’re immediately; my sister and brothers and I. So we hope everybody will take part as soon as the guide is launched.”
