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During their homecoming last week, Spelman College honored actress LaTanya Richardson-Jackson and her husband, actor Samuel L. Jackson, with the opening of the newly renovated performing arts center named after them. The couple met in 1970 as students at Spelman and Morehouse College.
“Sam and I are continually invested in the success of Spelman College because Spelman first invested so much in us,” said Richardson Jackson. “Everything I know, all of my beginnings were in this building. It is an honor for us to help support the school's vital mission and to ensure that it continues to serve as a space of inspiration and training for the next generation of leaders. May the unveiling of this glorious mural be an inspiration to the beautiful artists past, present, and future who walk these halls.”
The Jacksons donated $5 million towards the renovation of the Rockefeller Fine Arts Building, making it the largest donation from an alum in the school’s history. In addition to their donation, they helped raise additional funds for the renovation, raising $17.3 million in total. To honor their support of the renovation and their successful careers in the entertainment industry, the theater, lobby, and surrounding areas were named after them.
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Atlanta artist Quintin Jackson created a black-and-white mural that highlights Jackson’s abilities and achievements, including their time with the Morehouse Spelman Players. The 135-picture project took a year to complete, and it was made possible by the help of former Spelman Professor Dr. Carlton Molette, other Spelman team members, archive consultations, playbills, interviews with photographers of the eras depicted, and research and image discovery.
Family, friends, and other A-list celebrities joined the couple to celebrate this honor. Director and Morehouse alum Spike Lee, film producer Will Packer, author and Spelman alum Pearl Cleage, former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, United Negro College Fund President Michael Lomax, and former Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell were all in attendance.
After meeting in 1970 while students at Morehouse and Spelman, the couple married 10 years later on August 18, 1980. Since being together for more than five decades and married for almost four, the couple started a family and went on to have successful careers in television and movies. Latanya Richardson Jackson is best known for her roles in The Fighting Temptations, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Losing Isaiah. She is also recognized for her performances on Broadway, including A Raisin in the Sun. Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most widely known movie stars of his generation. Grossing over $27 billion worldwide for his movies, he is the highest grossing actor of all time. Starring in over 150 film and movie roles to date, some of Jackson's most notable projects include Coming to America, Snakes on a Plan, Lakeview Terrace, Coach Carter, Eve’s Bayou, and the Incredibles franchise.
