How ‘Mother Of Black Hollywood’ Jenifer Lewis Uprooted Trauma

Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer Geriatric mental health took center stage as seasoned actress and author Jenifer Lewis shared her triumph over mental and physical challenges as the keynote speaker for the National Council on Aging’s seventh annual Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day Symposium. “I’m aging. We’re all aging,” said Lewis, 67, during an early morning talk that kicked off the event, held virtually on May 2. The lively chat was moderated by council President and CEO Ramsey Alwin. Lewis is often referred to as the “Mother of Black Hollywood” for her many TV and film roles. Her TV résumé includes “Blackish,” “A Different World,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” She earned the title of “Mother of Black Hollywood” by playing everybody and their mama’s mama: She portrayed Tina Turner’s self-serving mother in “What’s Love Got To Do With It?,” Beyonce’s mother in “Dreamgirls,” Tupac Shakur’s mother in “Poetic Justice” and Whitney Houston’s in “The Preacher’s Wife.” Lewis is recognized on sight or upon hearing her voiceover work, but fans may not know that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1990. Mental health issues showed up long before that, but Lewis and those around her...