Humanitarian of the Week: Diahann Carroll

Diahann Carroll

Diahann Carroll’s life has been a series of “firsts.” She was the first African American woman to win a Tony Award, she was the first African American woman to star as a career woman in her own television series. Her career has spanned stage, screen and television. Not only is she a talented actress, but she’s also an accomplished singer who has appeared in several Broadway shows—most recently as “Norma Desmond” in Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Sunset Boulevard.


Miss Carroll’s bravery extends past her career, however. She is also a breast cancer survivor, and in that capacity is motivated to help others who are struggling with breast cancer. Carroll made her fight against cancer quite public when she allowed herself to be filmed during treatments. In doing so, she was able to demonstrate the realities of the treatment to people who might be about to undergo the same. As an activist and a survivor, Carroll will be featured in Uniglobe Entertainment’s, 1 a minute, a docudrama about breast cancer. Her efforts to educate people about the disease have aided hundreds of people who are battling breast cancer.

You can see Diahann Carroll in USA’s exceptional drama White Collar as the series begins airing new episodes on January 18, 2011. For more information, visit Diahann Carroll’s Web site.