Beyond the Yard- May 2024 Alumni Spotlight

By Kelvin Childs

Time magazine named Taraji P. Henson (’95, BFA), co-star of “The Color Purple” and Thasunda Brown Duckett, president and CEO of TIAA, to its 2024 TIME100 list of The World’s Most Influential People.

Henson is featured on one of four covers of the April 29, 2024, special issue, leads the “Icons” section and wrote the essay about “Color Purple” co-star Fantasia Barrino. A graduate of Howard’s College of Fine Arts, Henson is a Golden Globe Award winner, an Oscar nominee and nominee for several Emmy and Daytime Emmy awards. Henson also was the speaker for the University’s 154th Commencement in 2022. Grammy Award winner and Oscar nominee Mary J. Blige writes in her essay, “Taraji is a real woman – she doesn’t bite her tongue, and she’s not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She’s always authentic, and she’s just as fearless onscreen, which is why she’s one of my favorite actors. Watching her commit 1 million percent to whatever character she’s portraying is amazing. Her courage really sets her apart, in Hollywood and real life.”

Duckett, the oratrix for Howard’s 156th Commencement, held May 11 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., was at JPMorgan Chase & Co. for 17 years in various executive positions. She was involved in establishing the Advancing Black Pathways project to support and expand Black businesses and develop wealth-creating and wealth-sustaining opportunities for Black people.