T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh
A dynamic American actress and singer who broke ground as an original cast member of *In Living Color* and became a beloved face on family sitcoms.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American actress, singer·Birthday: October 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh burst onto the national stage with an electric energy as part of the original, genre-defining cast of *In Living Color*. On that groundbreaking show, she held her own alongside comedic forces like Jim Carrey and the Wayans brothers, showcasing a versatile range from sharp impressions to original characters. She leveraged that visibility into a successful television career, most notably as the warm and witty Erica Lucas on *Cosby*, where she spent four seasons, and later as the no-nonsense mother Tanya Baxter on Disney's *That's So Raven*. Beyond acting, Keymáh is a trained singer and dancer, skills she integrated into her one-woman stage shows and her creative venture, The Keymáh Network. Her career reflects a consistent thread of artistic control and a dedication to creating positive, often family-oriented content, evolving from a sketch comedy pioneer to a trusted presence in living rooms across America.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
T'Keyah was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When T'Keyah Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
T'Keyah's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
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
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was an original cast member on the groundbreaking Fox sketch comedy series *In Living Color* from 1990 to 1994.
- Starred as Erica Lucas, the daughter-in-law, for four seasons on the CBS sitcom *Cosby* (1996–2000).
- Played Tanya Baxter, Raven's mother, in the popular Disney Channel series *That's So Raven* (2003–2005).
- Created, hosts, and stars in *The Cool Crystal Show* on her own independent Keymáh Network platform.
Did You Know?
She legally changed her name to T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh; 'Keymáh' is 'my name' spelled backwards.
She is a skilled gymnast and dancer, which informed many of her physical comedy performances on *In Living Color*.
She wrote and performed a one-woman stage show titled *Some of My Best Friends*.
She holds a degree in theater from Florida A&M University and was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
“I create characters to tell our stories, to reflect our truth.”
