In this very special Mother’s Day Episode, I am joined by two creative powerhouses, Lynn Whitfield and Grace Gibson. Lynn Whitfield is an award-winning and internationally recognized actress with a career spanning decades. Her incredible artistry has consistently championed the experiences of complicated and powerful women whose stories deserved to be told with the depth and care that only Lynn could provide. Grace Gibson is a Rock ’n’ Roll artist forging her own distinct path in the music industry. Grace has had the privilege of gracing stages at Paisley Park and the Apollo Theater with her incredible voice and unique approach to rock. During our conversation, we discussed what it was like for both women to grow up in a family with such strong beauty and creative aesthetic sensibilities. And how they have relied on each other in their pursuit of greatness in their respective careers.
Lynn detailed how her mother and aunts provided her earliest expressions of beauty in Louisiana. We learned about how attending Howard University and being exposed to the Black art scene upended her initially conservative approach to self-expression, and how it challenged what her mother had taught her. Of course, Grace details what it was like to grow up with a mother who is well known for being glamorous, on and offscreen. The pair offered a beautiful look inside their relationship and how they have cultivated a friendship that many mothers and daughters would love to have. In fact, Lynn gushes when she explains that having Grace inspired a more ambitious approach to her personal and professional pursuits. As an ambitious working mother, Lynn talked about the women who modeled the mother-daughter relationship she could have as a successful actress. Grace credits Lynn with showing her the result of true artistic commitment and demanding that she pursue her artistic dream with complete seriousness.
Grace and Lynn offer a beautiful example of what it means to lead by creative example and live a life filled with love.
Tune in as we discuss:
(5:35) Lynn and Grace’s Introduction To Beauty
(13:45) Lynn’s Experience In A Freshly Integrated High School
(33:35) Behind The Scenes of The Josephine Baker Story Filming
(40:55) Why Grace Didn’t Watch The Josephine Baker Story Until College
(43:55) Lynn’s Parents Weren’t Supportive of Her Creative Careers, Despite Inspiring It
(55:15) Why They Are Best Friends
(57:20) On Being A Busy Working Mother
(58:45) How Josephine Premice and Her Daughter Susan Fales-Hill Supported Her
(1:05:00) Helping Your Children Understand Their Mixed-Race Identity
(1:06:20) How Lynn’s Radical Honesty and Work Ethic Inspire Grace
(1:11:45) Their Favorite Beauty Products and Services
(1:20:00) When They Feel The Most Beautiful
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