Why we don’t celebrate Marla Gibbs the way way we do Betty White?? pic.twitter.com/7JneXKQ5E4
— Free Spirited🇭🇹💨🍃 (@StephLDV) February 28, 2021
Marla Gibbs (born Margaret Theresa Bradley) was born June 14, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois. She is an actress, comedian, singer, writer and television producer.
Gibbs started her career in the in blaxploitation movies (a term I find more and more disquieting each time I see it); but is best known for her role as Florence Johnston, George Jefferson's maid in the hugely popular and successful primetime television show "The Jeffersons" (which enjoyed an 11-year run). She received five Emmy nominations in that span.
She also appeared in television roles on 227, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched by an Angel, Judging Amy, ER, Southland, The Hughleys, Station 19, and her own short-lived Jefferson's spin-off, Checking In. Her film credits include The Meteor Man, Lost & Found, The Visit, The Brothers, Madea's Witness Protection, Grantham & Rose, and Lemon. A more complete filmography can be found at IMDb (see below).
Her awards include 8 NAACP Image Awards, and the Essence Woman of the Year.
For two decades she owned a jazz supper club in South Central Los Angeles, and she released several albums as a singer.
Reading about her long career, I wonder how much more attention she would receive if she was a man, especially if she was a white man. Her comedic skills, singing voice, and acting abilities are top-notch, yet we never hear of her. It is not as if she was slotted into one industry: singer, television actress, movie actress, and entrepreneur, show that this is a dynamic, talented woman who in our society has been relegated to the second class.
This has to stop. We need to celebrate the women of the world. Learn about Marla Gibbs. Talk about Marla Gibbs. Ask why she isn't celebrated by late-night talk show hosts and social media barons.
IMDb entry: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004958/
Watch Reel Urban News interview: https://youtu.be/KT8w3SlOwz4
Photo credit:
John Mathew Smith - www.celebrity-photos.com
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