Beah Richards
A formidable actor and writer whose commanding presence on stage and screen was matched by her fierce, lifelong dedication to civil rights activism.
1920–2000 (age 80)·American actor and writer·Birthday: July 12·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Beah Richards brought an undeniable gravity and intelligence to every role she inhabited, often stealing scenes in a handful of minutes. Born in Mississippi, she was steeped in the struggle for racial justice from the start; her mother was a women's rights activist and her father a minister. After studying drama at Dillard University, she moved to New York, where her powerful stage work in plays like A Raisin in the Sun and The Miracle Worker quickly established her as a force. Hollywood, however, offered only limited, often stereotypical parts. Richards transcended these constraints, delivering performances of such depth and dignity that they reshaped the material. Her Oscar-nominated turn as Sidney Poitier's mother in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was a masterclass in quiet strength. Off-screen, she was equally potent, writing and performing poetry that addressed racism and sexism with unflinching clarity. Richards never separated her art from her activism, using her platform to challenge injustice and inspire generations of Black actors who followed.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Beah was born in 1920, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Beah Was Born
The biggest hits of 1920
#1 Movie
Way Down East
Beah's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1920Born
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1925Started school
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1933Became a teenager
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Could drive
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1938Could vote
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1941Turned 21
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1950Turned 30
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 40
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 50
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 60
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 70
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 80
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
Key Achievements
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs. Prentice in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
- Won an Emmy Award for her guest appearance on the television series Frank's Place in 1988.
- Wrote and performed the acclaimed poetry collection A Black Woman Speaks, a foundational work of feminist and civil rights literature.
- Earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance in The Miracle Worker on Broadway.
- Her one-woman show, An Evening with Beah Richards, was adapted into an Emmy-nominated documentary.
Did You Know?
She was a close friend and collaborator of poet and activist Langston Hughes.
Richards taught drama and speech at historically Black colleges, including Tougaloo College in Mississippi.
She was a member of the Committee for the Negro in the Arts, an organization dedicated to fighting racial discrimination in the arts.
Her performance in the 1965 film The Incident was so powerful it reportedly moved director Larry Peerce to tears during filming.
The documentary Beah: A Black Woman Speaks, about her life and work, won a Peabody Award.
“I am a woman born of a race of people who have had to fight for everything we have ever owned, including the right to live.”
