Today's Little Known Black History Fact

There are a lot of faces in black media (both in print and airwaves) that our society does not recognize; they may have seen the person in a short role somewhere, but they really don’t know who the person is. Then there are the faces that we see on so many different shows, but always in a supporting role. We know who the characters they play are, and we’re always talking about how good “the person who plays that character” is, but we can never seem to remember ‘that person’s’ name…

Well, today’s Little Known Black History fact falls into the latter category.  She has won a Golden Globe, an Emmy, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Obie, and four NAACP Image Awards. She has also received two Tony Award nominations. (Wikipedia)

She is most well-known for her 16 year run as Lt. Van Buren on the long-running Law & Order series. Born November 28, 1952 in Saginaw, Michigan, she has played in 27 different television series, made for TV movies, and movies for the big screen from 1986 to 2014.

Epatha Merkerson

She has earned many accolades over the years, including playing the longest-running African-American character in the history of primetime television. 

Her name is S. Epatha Merkerson. (The S. was for Sharon.)  She legally had her first name changed to S. although she prefers to be called Epatha.

In 2012, Merkerson became the host of the show Find Our Missing which highlights the search for missing people of color. Each episode tells the story of the missing person or persons, beginning with the day they vanished. Find Our Missing provides insight into these victims’ lives–their hopes and dreams, what makes them tick, and how they have touched those around them—from the people who know them best.  (Wikipedia)

Happy Birthday to one of the best female character actors I’ve seen…

Epatha Merkerson!