Avery Franklin Brooks

You know yesterday, I was so excited about James Earl Jones, I really did not share any autobiographical information. The point of featuring him was twofold. First, his ethnic make-up is so very similar to mine, his being of African, Irish(mine is French), Choctow, and Cherokee descent and second, he stuttered! His precise diction and utterly phenomenal pronounciation and presentation were result of his overcoming the stutter! How about that for a healthier, happier, you ~ which brings us to Avery Brooks! This blast from the past has made me want to honor all of the fine actors/actresses that have inspired me this wonderful Black History Month! But alas, we have SO little time!





If you recall from yesterday, I was crooning over James Earl Jones' bass which reminded me that I also love Avery Brooks. Growing up watching Spenser For Hire was a total excitement driven time. There was no cooler, badder dude ~ SHAFT who? I mean, shut yo mouth! Hawk was the man. He was suave, debonair, sexy, sleek and mysterious! He was a bad mo-fo fo-sho! Whenever I start ranting like this around the house, my son gives me that very same look I used to give my mother when Johnny Mathis would come on the tv. It is a kind of "Please, go look at yourself, you are pitiful" glare. Reluctantly I will try to contain myself for the purposes of sharing with you that Avery Brooks is a consummate entertainer. Born in Evansville, Indiana and raised in Gary, Avery Franklin Brooks attended Oberlin, Indiana University and received his masters from Rutgers University where he maintained his professorship until 1985.

His various roles after Hawk, include, Captain Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek (YES, I was a trekkie),





Paul Robeson and Othello (on and off Broadway), King Lear, Dr. Bob Sweeney in American X and countless voice over roles in so many documentaries. He is an accomplished singer, performing in American composer and jazz artist Anthony Davis' Opera X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.





He is a huge talent and rightfully deserves our attention today! One site you can learn more about Avery Brooks is here on StarTrek.com! He is SO remarkable. Enjoy!