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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 93
BY SENATOR COLOMB
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To commend Lynn Whitfield on her many accomplishments.
WHEREAS, Lynn Whitfield was born Lynn Butler-Smith in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, to Valerian Smith and Jean Butler-Smith; and
WHEREAS, she is the eldest of four children and a third-generation graduate from
Howard University; and
WHEREAS, her father was instrumental in developing Lynn's initial interest in
acting and was a prime figure in forming community theater in Baton Rouge; and
WHEREAS, first garnering attention on the stage by studying and performing with
the Black Repertory Company in Washington, DC; she married one of the company's
cofounders and pioneers of black theatre, Vantile Whitfield, in 1974; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Whitfield eventually moved to New York City and appeared
off-Broadway in such shows as The Great Macdaddy and Showdown before earning acclaim
in the 1977 Los Angeles production of the landmark black play For Colored Girls Who Have
Considered Suicide . . . When the Rainbow Is Enuf; and
WHEREAS, her Hollywood career unfolded under a talent development program at
Columbia Pictures in 1979, appearing on such established television shows as Hill Street
Blues; and
WHEREAS, she made her film debut in Doctor Detroit in 1983 and doled out a
number of supporting roles in other popular films such as Silverado in 1985, The Slugger's
Wife in 1985, Jaws: The Revenge in 1987, and Dead Aim in 1987; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Whitfield garnered the most attention working on television in
leading and supporting roles; and
WHEREAS, her early highlights include topical social dramas such as The George
McKenna Story in 1986, Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI in 1986, and Oprah Winfrey's historical
miniseries The Women of Brewster Place in 1989; and
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WHEREAS, she played classy, intelligent professional woman in series television
shows such as Heartbeat in 1988 and Equal Justice in 1990; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Whitfield achieved wide recognition in the title role of The
Josephine Baker Story in 1991, which required her to age from eighteen years old to
sixty-eight; and
WHEREAS, for that role, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead
Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in
a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special, and was nominated for the Golden
Globe Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film; and
WHEREAS, after her breakthrough role as Josephine Baker, Ms. Whitfield had the
recurring role in the legal drama Equal Justice and continued her career starring in
made-for-television movies including A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story in 1991,
Taking the Heat in 1993, State of Emergency in 1994, Sophie and Moonhanger in 1996, The
Wedding in 1998, The Color of Courage in 1998, and Deep in My Heart in 1999; and
WHEREAS, in 1992, Ms. Whitfield earned an NAACP Image Award for her role in
the miniseries Stompin' at the Savoy, appeared in Pauly Shore's comedy In the Army Now
in 1994, and returned to series television alongside Bill Cosby in the short-lived The Cosby
Mysteries in 1994; and
WHEREAS, she also appeared in the films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate in
1996, Gone Fishin' in 1997, The Planet of Junior Brown in 1997, and earned excellent
reviews for her supporting work in Eve's Bayou in 1997, a role that drew on her Louisiana
heritage; and
WHEREAS, Ms Whitfield starred as Dorthea Garibaldi in two Disney Channel films,
The Cheetah Girls in 2003, and The Cheetah Girls 2 in 2006; and
WHEREAS, she co-starred in the comedy film, Head of State in 2003, Redemption
in 2004, Madea's Family Reunion in 2006, The Women in 2008, The Rebound in 2009, and
Mama, I Want to Sing in 2011; and
WHEREAS, on television, Ms. Whitfield had recurring roles on Boston Public,
Without a Trace, How to Get Away with Murder, and Mistresses; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, she was cast in the leading role of Lady Mae Greenleaf, the
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main villain in an Oprah Winfrey original scripted drama series Greenleaf about the
unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch; and
WHEREAS, Lynn Whitfield merits a special measure of commendation and
recognition for the depth of her artistic ability in theater, motion pictures, and television, and
for the tremendous pride that she brings to her family, friends, the Baton Rouge community,
and the state of Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend and congratulate Lynn Whitfield on the extraordinary accomplishments and
recognition she has garnered as a thespian and wish for her a full measure of success and
happiness in her future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Lynn
Whitfield.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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