LaChanze

Personal context

Summary

LaChanze is an actor, singer, producer, and director known for originating roles in Once on This Island and The Color Purple, and for later producing Broadway works including Topdog/Underdog and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Her stage and producing work includes stories centered on black characters and communities, while she has also argued that productions should be marketed as compelling stories rather than categorized by race or gender. She co-founded Black Theatre United and serves as its president; she has campaigned for racial equity in theater, more Black artists in creative and decision-making roles, and a pipeline for young black theater professionals. No partisan political campaigning is on record.