Jenifer Lewis Will Never Stop High-Kicking

Jenifer Lewis, 65 years old is still singing and kicking as loud as ever when she made her Broadway debut. Eubie In 1979. The entertainment industry has seen Lewis’s impact over the past 43 year as an icon. She is a Black woman who, despite many social and personal obstacles, has excelled at every medium and always made sure to bring others along. Lewis created an autobiographical, one-woman cabaret in 1994. The Diva is Disowned, This helped her to get into major onscreen roles. She went on to appear in films such as Sister Act The Preacher’s Wife, And in television series A Different World The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. More recently, Lewis starred as Ruby Johnson on ABC’s award-winning series Black-ish Alongside Tracee Ellis Ross and Yara Shahidi.

But more than her sweeping talent, it’s Lewis’s inextinguishable joie de vivre that really gives her star power its wattage—a spark that’s captured in her new book of essays, Walking in My Joy (Amistad Press), which includes riotous stories from her many travels and beyond. Her 2018 memoir is answered in a lighter tone. The Mother of Black Hollywood, which chronicles Lewis’s come-up in the entertainment industry including her past struggles with sexual addiction and alcohol abuse, Walking in My Joy Through absurd stories, he shares wisdom and humor about how to accept responsibility and deal with life’s challenges.

Ahead of the book’s release, and not long after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Lewis spoke with close friend and collaborator Lena Waithe, whose show, Twenties, In 2020, she was featured on a segment about savoring each step.

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Jenifer Lee: Hey, boo.

Lena Waithe Hey, how are ya?

JL: I am really good. You helped me recover from receiving a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame. I don’t remember which one was larger.

LW: The star on the Walk of Fame. You are the star on the Walk of Fame, and your new book is called Walking in my joy. You’ve been my friend for many years. I feel that you have always lived in joy. I was wondering what people can expect from this new book that they didn’t find in your first book.

JL: The Mother of Black Hollywood It was about my life. Walking in My Joy This is what keeps me alive.

LW: That is what I love. What are some of these things?

JL: It keeps me going. Living my life with purpose is the work of journaling. I have journaled since the seventh grade—I’m 65 years old, and I have 67 journals upstairs, all full. The things I do now, Lena … wow, what a wonderful position to be in. However, I have to return to my work. The journaling, staying in therapy when you need it and the therapy.

Our business is enormous. I just completed an eight-year series of primetime. Black-ish, And he was immediately absorbed in a new series. It’s a gift I love for you. The most important aspect of it all is that it was my work that allowed me to stand on Hollywood and Vine and feel comfortable in my skin knowing that I earned the privilege.

LW: If people visit your house, they will see photos of you in many places. Can you tell us about the joy you get from traveling around the globe and why you chose to do so? Sometimes, you also travel solo. Talk to me about how that can help you.

JL: When I travel, I get in the trenches. I always have a guide that takes me to some tourist spots—I get into the architecture; I get into the history—but the thing that I really want to do is meet the local people. Just recently, I returned from Agra in India. The Taj Mahal was right outside my room. The poverty was overwhelming as you walked from the airport towards the hotel. My guide informed me about the caste system as well as the people considered untouchables.

Let me give you an example of what happens when I travel. In India, I met four chefs who were creating delicious local food. I looked at their chefs’ hats with white masks, and I asked them about their lives. I explained to them that I had lived through this poverty. I also said that I had come out of it. I looked at them in the eyes and said, “You know that you will have to rise up.” That’s what you know, don’t you? “One of the people looking at me right now, Gandhi,” I responded. I deliberately walked away. Then I turned around and saw a little girl, who had nodded her heads a bit. I pointed to her, and she said, “It is you.” And I could see through her face that she was moving. I replied, “If it’s you, make it your daughter.”

LW: I agree. I can speak to your desire mentor or mother people such as DJ, a.k.a. Shangela and many other people?

JL: This is the short answer I can give. It’s just two words: I care.

I was blessed with so much and it wasn’t about me when I was growing up. It’s all about us now. Although I care deeply about other people, I now realize that I need to take care of my own health first. That’s why I tell you all to take care of yourself. All I am is someone who has lived a lot and has learned to give.

LW: You also have a new way to reach people via social media, and through song. You bring the issues to the world, whether you are singing about voting or about current events. What is this to you in this stage of your career and life?

JL: I have just recorded eight songs for the Audible version. Walking in My Joy. Sitting in the studio listening to these songs, I realized that although they are battle cries, they are mostly prayer. Our children shouldn’t have to flee from bullets. Flint can’t be fixed. It’s difficult to keep up with the current world events, but I’ll repeat it again: These are not dark days, these are awakening moments. It’s time for people to rise up.

I’ve been an activist for a long time. However, during the Trump era honey, a fire was lit under me, especially when it came to the Trump presidency. [the murder of] George Floyd did it. I said, “You take your knees and privilege off of my neck. This injustice needs to be addressed. My activism is intense now. I consider myself a leader of this resistance.

LW: Yes, you have always been a leader.

JL: My activism started during and after the AIDS epidemic. It started way before that. I participated in a walkout at high school on Angela Davis’s birthday. I responded, “Well we’re off to George Washington’s birthday, let’s get out of this.” Angela is someone I admire and respect. That’s why I continue to wear my Afro. My natural hair is what I wear because I want Black women know that their entire self is beautiful. See? You can see that I do high kicks to show people a healthy 65 year-old woman. Black hair is the only thing that defies gravity on Earth.

LW: Mine is doing it right now!

There are two stories that I found very funny in your book. You mentioned the one where you fell at Obama’s holiday party. Then there was the one about Dumbass Nancy. How did your approach to deciding which stories you wanted this book to tell?

JL: Walking in my joy It is more a collection. These stories, these situations I find myself in, fish-out-of-water situations—it’s a very Lucy Ricardo existence. I’m always in trouble. Here comes a Cape Buffalo, and I am standing in the middle the Serengeti. It’s about to stab me with its horns and then it comes to my rescue: a Maasai warrior. Literally.

Dumbass Nancy is my piano player. He made a joke about LaGuardia Airport 1982 and closed the entire airport. Dumbass. The airport was surrounded by SWAT teams. They knew that I didn’t have a gun. But they used it to practice. They took her to jail. I was like “Wait, a minute. That’s me playing the piano. Nevada, I have a concert. What the fuck! Fuck her, my concert was canceled.

That White House story is a classic. I forgot what to eat, girl. I forgot to eat.

LW: I believe it. I remember fainting from playing like that. You’re probably more relatable than people would think, and that’s what I believe people will love you for. It’s hilarious. People, you have to remember to eat.

JL: Absolutely. Michelle, Barack, Michelle was all I had in my head. I didn’t care much about the food. I didn’t even eat any. Michelle’s assistant tapped me on my shoulder and asked me if I would like to see the pastry. Honey, I ate that crap out, kicked it under Mary Lincoln, and ran my stomping grounds.

It was a magical night. It was at a Christmas party. Michelle had the White House looking beautiful. It was equal to her majesty, grace and wisdom, beauty, and courage. The photo insert actually contains a photograph of Walking in My Joy A view of Michelle’s portrait in National Portrait Gallery.

LW: Oh, beautiful.

JL: When she guest-starred Black-ish, Michelle said, “Oh Jenifer. I was told by my mama to say hello to you.” Marian Robinson was a former senator when I met her at Oprah’s Montecito fundraiser for Obama. She saw me and said to me, “Oh, my mama told me to tell you hello.” Fresh Prince fan. Michelle, have you ever met her? I wasn’t brave enough to admit that I had previously met Michelle. Mama let me go over to Michelle and introduced me. I was so happy.

LW: It was wonderful to be in the same room as Obama’s fundraisers and to have been a part of his campaign. And then to see him become a two-term president … it was like, “Whoa.”

JL: This is my story. I was in South Africa. On my way back from Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, I passed a market. An old Black woman was sitting on the sidewalk selling her wares. I pointed out something to her and asked for it. She was able to recognize my American accent. I smiled at her and said “Yes.” Then, she raised her two fingers and said, “Twice.” That was so powerful, Goddamn!

LW: That’s beautiful. Let me ask, how do your feelings about the entertainment industry changing? It’s something you know so well and have laid the foundation for it. Even I look back at how it has changed since I joined.

JL: Somebody else may say that y’all got an easy ride, but I know nobody’s ride is easy. What I’ll say about what’s changed is that you guys certainly have more choices. I’m really happy that because of technology, your generation doesn’t have to go to those big studios and pray for 80,000 years that your project will be fixed up. Y’all can go right out there and tell your story. And you’re taking advantage of it; there are so many Black projects.

When I started off, we had very few choices, so we had to take what was out there. Once, a reporter from The New York Times asked me, “What is it like being Black in Hollywood?” I said, “Whatever you wake up looking for, that’s what you’re going to find.” I didn’t walk into an audition going, “Oh, I don’t think they going to hire me because I’m Black.” What I was thinking about is that I was talented. I had a dream. I didn’t let racism stop me because I wasn’t liked by someone.

Ain’t that deep? That’s some deep shit right there, girl. Oh, my God. I was like, “Damn, you better start it off right.” What’s the next question?

LW: You’ve been able to dance between a lot of different mediums, and that’s something that I didn’t expect I would do in my career. As you know, I really was focused on television—that’s really what I’ve always been passionate about—but I ended up writing a feature film, and I want to venture into theater at some point. You have done all of the things. I’m curious to know where you feel the most comfortable. Where are you most excited?

JL: It’s an easy answer, darling. It is the theater, because theater is the moment. Nobody can say, “Cut.” Nobody can say, “Let’s do that again, please.” If there are 2,000 people in the audience, that means 4,000 eyes are on you. That’s a responsibility. You can hear people laughing, crying, thinking. And when you leave a Jenifer Lewis show, baby, you have been entertained. I don’t give a hundred percent. I don’t even know what the fuck that is. I give 2,000 percent; I always have. Because it’s what I breathe. It’s who I am. I became the entertainer’s entertainer, because I was such a good entertainer. All I know is I didn’t take the elevator, I took the stairs, and that’s why I’m still here. One step at a time.

LW: I know that’s right. Jen, this has been so joyful. That’s the perfect word. I think a lot of people will finally find out how close we are and how much I love you, how much I admire you, how grateful I am to you. And not just for our relationship, but for all the work that you put in—your DNA is in so many of these things that we hold dear and that remind us of who we are. It’s in the original Dreamgirls Broadway show, it’s all up in What’s Love Got to Do with It, it’s in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. All the flowers that you get are yours.