Zoe Mckey, Staff Writer
Sisters actresses Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen, renowned for their significant contributions to entertainment, hail from a family of accomplished women. Rashad, celebrated for her role as Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” has also served as a lecturer and dean at Howard University. Allen has revolutionized choreography in Hollywood, influencing shows like “Fame” and “A Different World.” Their mother, Vivian Ayers Allen, was recently honored by NASA for her pivotal contributions to the Apollo 11 mission, an achievement recognized during a ceremony in Houston where the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center was renamed in honor of women who played crucial roles in the space program.
Vivian Ayers Allen, an activist, scholar, and Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet, was celebrated not only for her contributions to space exploration, but also for her literary work, including the poem “Hawk.” NASA commemorated her legacy with a photo and her poem displayed at the space center. The ceremony was attended by her children, including Rashad, Allen, and their brother, Andrew Arthur Allen, Jr. In 2023, Vivian Ayers Allen marked her 100th birthday, a milestone that further highlights her remarkable life and contributions, placing her alongside other notable figures such as Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who were immortalized in the film “Hidden Figures”.
