Known for:	Roots, Claudine, Amazon Women on the Moon
Birth name:	Roxie Albertha Roker
Birthday:	28 August 1929, Miami, Florida, USA

Mother of rock star Lenny Kravitz She won an Obie in 1970 for "The River Niger" When she auditioned for her role in "Jeffersons, The" (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. Former mother-in-law of Lisa Bonet, who played Denise Huxtable on the Cosby Show. 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. Born in Miami and raised in Brooklyn, her father was a emigre from the Bahamas. 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. As wife Helen Willis on "The Jeffersons," she and white actor Franklin Cover broke barriers by becoming the first interracial married couple on prime-time TV (1975). Roxie once hosted a local community television show in the late 60s Was nominated for Broadway's 1974 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for "The River Niger." She was the grandmother of Zoe Kravitz who was born to Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet on December 1, 1988. Was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Roxie Roker died on December 2, 1995, only a day after her granddaughter Zoe Kravitz's birthday. The family worried about when Roxie would finally be at peace because they did not want to celebrate Zoe's birthday on the same day as the funeral for her grandmother. Grandmother of Zoey Kravitz. Cousin of Al Roker

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