Diahann Carroll: Class, Sophistication, Elegance and Groudbreaking Racial Pioneer!

On October 4, 2019, The world lost one of the most elegant, classy, sophisticated, talented entertainers on Friday when Carroll Diann Johnson ,better known to the larger world as Diahann Carroll died at the age of 84. For more than a half a century, Carroll deeply etched her imprints and left a memorable and lasting legacy in the world of entertainment. Indeed, the world has suddenly become immensely less glamorous.

A woman possessed with a tremendous amount of charisma and magnetism, she frequently turned heads and drew considerable attention wherever she went and made her presence known. She had an arresting presence that frequently melted all those who had the good fortune to either interview and /or write feature articles about her. She was a human being who exuded an intense degree of sophistication and many people across race and ethnicity deeply admired her for loved her for it.

As a pre- teen, in the late 1970s, I was watching television in the family room. I remember hearing my mother and other Black women frequently discuss Ms. Carroll. I do not recall ever hearing a dissenting or negative comment (at least among the Black women I encountered) whenever her name was mentioned. On the contrary, many Black women were in unison all the women present, including my mother, were in total unison concurring that Ms. Carroll was the epitome class, elegance and sophistication. The conversation was so passionate, heartfelt and laudatory, that I…