Wissenswertes

Mother of rock star Lenny Kravitz

Cousin of Al Roker, with whose father, Albert Roker, he shares a given first name.

As wife "Helen Willis" on Die Jeffersons (1975), she and white actor Franklin Cover broke barriers by becoming the first Caucasian-African-American married couple on prime-time TV.

When she auditioned for her role in Die Jeffersons (1975), the producer mentioned to her that he wasn't sure she looked believable as a African-American woman married to a white man. In response, she produced a family picture with her husband who was white. As a result, she was immediately cast.

Son Lenny Kravitz wrote the song "Thinking of You" after her departure. In the video, he was singing behind a photo of the mother, when young.

She was born in Miami and raised in Brooklyn. Her mother, Bessie (Mitchell), was African-American, from Georgia, and her father, Albert Hubert Roker, was an Afro-Bahamian emigrant, originally from Nassau.

A children's advocate, her service included being a board member of the Inter Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect. She earned two citations from the Los Angeles City Council for her work.

Received her BFA from Howard University and was an active member in the Howard Players. She later became a member of the Negro Ensemble Company in New York.

Studied at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.

Grandmother of Zoë Kravitz who was born to Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet on December 1, 1988.

She won an Obie in 1970 for "The River Niger"

She died at 2 minutes after midnight on December 2, 1995. Lenny Kravitz's daughter Zoë Kravitz's birthday is December 1. The family grew concerned that Zoe's grandmother would die on her birthday and the family did not want to commemorate the death of Lenny's mother on the same day as his daughter's birthday.

Was nominated for Broadway's 1974 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for "The River Niger."

Roxie once hosted a local community television show in the late 60s

Was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Friends with Marla Gibbs.

Friends with Cicely Tyson.

Sister of Renny Roker.