LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 14: Phylicia Rashad speaks onstage during The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on September 14, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images)
CBS via Getty Images
On August 10, the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) held its annual C-Suite Luncheon, bringing together celebrity tastemakers and influential culture-shifters, including Tonya Lewis Lee, Phylicia Rashad, Sheryl Swoopes, Joteka Eddy, and Carlotta Walls LaNier.
Conceptualized by MVAAFF founder Stephanie Tavares-Rance, the luncheon and its accompanying summit are designed to inspire, connect, and uplift business owners and women leaders of color. This year’s luncheon centered on the theme of legacy and was sponsored by AARP, with a conversation focused on Rashad’s enduring career, from The Cosby Show to HBO’s The Gilded Age, as well as AARP’s new study, Bridging the Gap: The Path to More Authentic Portrayals of Black Adults in Movies and TV.
As previously reported, the study found that Black adults attend movies and consume television and streaming content at higher rates than the U.S. population overall. It also found that audiences view older Black women as influential cultural figures and want to see more authentic representation of them on screen. When they are represented, viewers report feeling more positively about aging.
The discussion, led by AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, emphasized the importance of legacy and longevity, particularly for women over 50. AARP’s Movies for Grownups initiatives and its efforts to combat age discrimination in Hollywood were also highlighted. The conversation underscored the significant economic power of the 50-plus demographic, which contributes $12.5 trillion to the U.S. economy, as well as the need for more accurate and authentic representations of Black women in media.
Rashad reflected on the people and communities that shaped her own understanding of legacy.
“My mother. My father, my grandparents, the communities in which they were born, and I was privileged to know as a child — that’s what I think about when I hear about legacy, because that’s what flows through,” she told Minter-Jordan.
Looking ahead, Rashad emphasized that legacy is not simply something inherited, but something actively created and passed forward.
“It’s something that we become very conscious of. Something that we speak of consciously together. Something we now consciously convey to our young people,” she said. “But it’s really about the way we live. About the way we interact with each other. The way we hold ourselves, think of ourselves — this is what creates legacy.”
Reflecting on her portrayal of Lena Younger in A Raisin in the Sun, Rashad explained how her understanding of her own family history informed the role.
“When it came time to play Lena Younger, I understood who the woman was. She was not a piece of furniture with a wig on it. She was a woman who knew how to grow things. And I knew that from my greater family. I am so proud of the legacy that has been handed to me. I am so proud of this heritage.”
Rashad also spoke about her continued commitment to learning through her work.
“I love getting a script and going back into history,” she said. “I love learning because I’m looking at humanity and saying, ‘OK. We’ve done this a few times now. Let’s get it right now. Let’s get it right.’”
For Rashad, that pursuit of humanity extends beyond any single role or genre.
“And especially right now, being a human being is so important. I look for the humanity in every world. I’m not considering anything else, and I’m not thinking anything else. This is what my mother taught me. This for me is freedom. I am not circumscribed by anyone else’s idea.”
When asked how she responds to roles and shows that do not accurately depict the Black experience, Rashad kept her answer simple: “And if there’s something on television that I don’t like, I simply don’t watch it.”
Reflecting on her extensive career—from Clair Huxtable to countless other iconic characters, Rashad said she is most proud of the way her work has illuminated the humanity we share.
“Whether it’s Ma Pop, Aunt Esther, Clair Huxtable or whoever,” Rashad said, “I want my work, more than anything else, to demonstrate that as human beings, we are much more alike than we could ever be different.”