This page uses content from the Denise Nicholas biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.

Donna Denise Nicholas, born in 1944 in Detroit, Michigan, is an actress and social activist who was involved in the American Civil Rights Movement. She grew up in the Milan, Michigan area (south of Ann Arbor0, graduating from Milan High School in 1961. She subsequently attended and graduated from the University of Michigan.

At 19, she married Gilbert Moses and they moved to Mississippi. Moses was one of three co-founders of the Free Southern Theater, which was aimed at educating Southern African-Americans about their history and about the civil rights movement. Through Moses, Nicholas became involved in the FST, starring in many of its plays. The FST later moved to New Orleans. In 1966, Moses and Nicholoas divorced. He left New Orleans while she stayed to focus on building a library and information center for African-Americans.

Ms. Nicholas began her television acting career in 1968, with an episode of It Takes a Thief. She has since appeared in many popular (and some not so popular) movies and television shows. She is probably best known for her role as Liz McIntyre on the show Room 222 (1969-1974), as well as her role as Harriet DeLong on In the Heat of the Night (1988-1994). Her first novel, Freshwater Road, was published by Agate Publishing in August, 2005.

In addition to director Gilbert Moses, Ms. Nicholas was also married to composer/songwriter Bill Withers and is currently married to Jim Hill, Sports Director at KCBS-TV 2 in Los Angeles.

See also

American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
Room 222

External links

• Internet Movie Database: Denise Nicholas

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