
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, C'74, will join the
Fordham University Theater Program this fall as the new Denzel Washington Endowed Chair in Theater. As Fordham’s newest endowed chair, Jackson will join a select few who have held the position since its inception in 2011. The Tony Award nominee is known for her extensive career in film, television and theater.
She has appeared on the big screen in several movies including “Fried Green Tomatoes” and “The Fighting Temptations;” and in the Netflix series “Luke Cage.” In 1977, she received a Tony nomination for her portrayal of Lena Younger alongside Washington in the Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry’s classic, “A Raisin in the Sun.”
When asked by
Variety Magazine in 2017 what she tells students about the industry, she stated, “I tell young people that if your heart is there and you have some talent, nurture that talent and stay committed.”