By Kiya Wimbush
Happy Founders Day to the ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc! Celebrating 105 years of sisterhood, scholarship, service, and finer womanhood. In honor of Founders Day, here are five oh-so-sweet ladies of Zeta Phi Beta.
Tatyana Ali
When naming the âIt Girlsâ of the 90s, we always mention the beautiful and talented Tatyana Ali. With her role as Ashley Banks on the hit NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Ali was a role model for Black girls everywhere.
Like many child actors, Ali got her start on the educational program Sesame Street. She also appeared on two episodes of Star Search. Ali joined the cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in 1990. She played Ashley Banks until the show ended in 1996. While on the show, Ali was able to showcase her talents of both singing and acting.
Ali sung during several episodes of the show, prompting costar Will Smith to ask if she would ever consider pursuing a career in music. Ali had a brief music career, debuting her first album, Kiss the Sky, in 1998. The album went certified gold in early 1999. She was featured on several projects with other big-name artists, including MC Lyte and costar Will Smith.
Although The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is Aliâs best-known role, she has been featured in several other projects, including The Brothers, Glory Road, Noraâs Hair Salon, Love That Girl!, and The Young and the Restless.
Ali is a graduate of Harvard University, graduating in 2002 with a degree in Afro-American history and government. She is also the co-founder of HazraH Entertainment, a production company dedicated to creating quality content for underserved communities.
Tatyana Ali became an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta last July during the sororityâs Boulè in Indianapolis.
Chaka Khan
With a career spanning more than five decades, no wonder Chaka Khan is known as the âQueen of Funk.â Whether it was Rufus or solo, Chaka Khan has released many generational hits throughout her career.
Many people donât know that before Chaka Khan became the legendary singer that we know and love today, she was a member of the Black Panther Party. She devoted most of her time to the Black Pantherâs free breakfast program. This is also where she was given the name Chaka.
In 1972, Khan joined the group Rufus after then-lead singer Paulette McWilliams left the group. The following year they were signed to ABC Records and released their self-titled debut album. Their breakthrough hit on the album, Tell Me Something Good, earned them a Grammy Award and peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Rufus and Khan went on to release ten more studio albums. Some of their greatest hits include Sweet Thing, Once You Get Started, and Do What You Feel.
Khan released her debut solo album in 1978. The album featured the major disco hit Iâm Every Woman. She continued to release solo projects while still working with Rufus. Khan has released 12 solo studio albums throughout her career. Some of her greatest hits include Through the Fire, Higher Love, Addicted to Love, Love You All My Lifetime, Do You Love What You Feel, and Ain’t Nobody.
Khan has ten Grammy Awards and was named by Billboard as one of the most successful dance club artists of all time.
Chaka Khan became an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta in 2020.
Dawnn Lewis
Many people donât know that Dawnn Lewis helped write one of the most iconic theme songs in the history of television. Not only did she star on the hit NBC show A Different World, but she also co-wrote the theme song for the first season. Her character, Jaleesa Vinson, introduced us to a non-traditional student in college.
But before she made it to Hillman, Lewis graduated from the University of Miami, majoring in musical theatre with a minor in journalism in 1982. Before landing her breakthrough role on A Different World, she performed in the national tour of the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid. Lewis portrayed Jaleesa Vinson for the first five of six seasons of A Different World from 1987 to 1992.
That same year Lewis starred in the ABC sitcom Hanginâ with Mr. Cooper, alongside Mark Curry and Holly Robinson Peete. She, along with Peete and R&B group En Vogue, sang the theme song for the show. She only starred in the first season of the show.
In addition to television, Lewis has several video game and theater credits. She has provided voices for the video games True Crime: New York City, Mortal Kombat, and X-Men. She has also made appearances in other television shows and movies, including The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Futurama, Let It Shine, and Doc McStuffins.
Dawnn Lewis became an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta in 2022.
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is one of the most charted vocalists in history. Talent runs in her blood, as she is the first cousin of the late and great Whitney Houston.
Growing up in New Jersey, Warwick got her start singing gospel as a child. Furthering her passion for music, she attended the Hartt College of Music in Connecticut. While singing background with her group, Warwick grabbed the attention of Burt Bacharach and eventually landed her own record deal.
Warwick later joined some of her family members in the group the Drinkard Singers. After spending some time with the Drinkard Singers, she then joined The Gospelaires. It wasnât until 1962 that she got major recognition as a solo artist. That same year she released her major solo hit, Donât Make Me Over. She then followed with two more hit singles, This Empty Place and Make The Music Play.
Throughout her career, Warwick has released 40 studio albums. These albums feature hits such as Walk on By, I Say a Little Prayer, Anyone Who Had a Heart, Alfie, Iâll Never Fall in Love Again, Heartbreaker, and Thatâs What Friends Are For. She is ranked as one of the biggest hit makers between 1955 and 1999 based on her Billboard chart history. Warwick is also the second most-charted female vocalist during the rock era. Billboard listed her as one of the greatest artists of all time.
Warwick has numerous awards, including six Grammy Awards, four NAACP Image Awards, a Billboard, and an American Music Award. She has also been inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Apollo Theater Walk of Fame.
Dionne Warwick became an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta in 1978.
Vivica A. Fox
There are few early 2000s classics that didnât star Vivica A. Fox. The A in her name stands for always booked and busy because throughout her career she has starred in some of everyoneâs favorite television shows and movies.
After graduating from Golden West College, Fox briefly danced on the music variety show Soul Train from 1983 to 1984. She began acting professionally in 1988 on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives as Carmen Silva. The following year she made her film debut in the movie Born on the Fourth of July. Later that year she joined the cast of Generations, another soap opera on NBC.
In the early 1990s, Fox made several guest appearances on numerous prime-time television shows, including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, 90210, Family Matters, Matlock, and Martin. In 1992, she played the daughter of Patti LaBelle in the NBC sitcom Out All Night.
Fox had a major television and film run from 1996 to 2003. She starred in major hits including Independence Day, Set It Off, Booty Call, Soul Food, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Two Can Play That Game, Juwanna Man, and Kill Bill. Other notable projects of hers include Missing and Empire.
Fox starred in almost 250 feature films, television shows, and made-for-television productions over her career. She has produced more than 40 television films and motion pictures.
Vivica A. Fox became an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta in 2020.