Ruby Dee

Ruby Dee – Life, Career, and Enduring Voice

Ruby Dee (1922–2014) was a groundbreaking American actress, poet, playwright, and civil rights activist. Explore her journey from Harlem to Broadway, her artistic and social legacy, and her memorable words and lessons.

Introduction

Ruby Dee was a luminary of American stage, film, and television — a woman whose artistry was inseparable from her convictions. Her career spanned more than seven decades, during which she broke barriers for Black performers, gave shape to powerful roles, and walked hand in hand with the civil rights movement. Through her life, she showed how acting and activism could enrich and inform one another.

Early Life and Family

Ruby Dee was born Ruby Ann Wallace on October 27, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio.

When Ruby was still a child, her family moved to Harlem, New York, where she was raised. In Harlem, she was surrounded by the energy of African American culture, activism, and artistry — environments that would deeply shape her later work.

Ruby’s stepmother insisted on her studying piano and music; the household also rented rooms to Black travelers who could not stay in white-owned hotels — giving Ruby early exposure to dignity, struggle, and community.

She attended public schools in Harlem (PS 119 and PS 136) and later Hunter College High School. Hunter College in 1945 with a degree in Romance languages. Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Career Beginnings & Rise

Theater Roots & the American Negro Theater

Ruby Dee’s acting journey began in Harlem. She joined the American Negro Theater (ANT) as an apprentice, working alongside future stars such as Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte.

At age 17, she made her stage debut in On Strivers’ Row (1940) under ANT, and in 1943 made her Broadway debut in South Pacific (as a chorus member) when the role called for “Negro” ensemble parts.

She also starred in Anna Lucasta (1946) which became a prominent vehicle for her stage presence.

Transition to Film & Key Early Roles

Ruby’s first on-screen appearance was in the film That Man of Mine (1946). The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), in which she portrayed Rachel Robinson, wife of Jackie Robinson. No Way Out (1950).

In 1957, she starred in Edge of the City, acting opposite John Cassavetes and Sidney Poitier — a groundbreaking work in American cinema exploring race and social tension.

Landmark Stage Role & A Raisin in the Sun

Ruby Dee achieved a defining breakthrough when she originated the role of Ruth Younger in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway in 1959. 1961 film adaptation, delivering one of her most celebrated performances.

She also starred in Purlie Victorious (1961) on stage and in film, playing Lutiebell Gussie Mae Jenkins.

Diversifying Mediums & Later Work

Over the years Ruby Dee consistently worked across film, television, and theater:

• She accepted roles in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991), bringing gravitas and inner strength to her performances.

• Her television presence included shows and special roles: Roots: The Next Generations (1979), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979), Long Day’s Journey into Night (1982), and Go Tell It on the Mountain (1985).

• She starred in Decoration Day (1990) — a TV film for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award.

• Late in her career, Ruby was cast as Mama Lucas in American Gangster (2007) opposite Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. That performance earned her an Oscar nomination (Best Supporting Actress) and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

• In 2008, she and her husband Ossie Davis shared a Grammy Award (Best Spoken Word Album) for With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together.

• In her later years, she narrated Betty & Coretta (2013), a Lifetime film about the widows of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

Personal Life, Activism & Values

Marriage & Family

Ruby Dee married Frankie Dee Brown in 1941, adopting “Dee” as her stage name; they divorced in 1945.

In 1948, she married Ossie Davis, an actor, director, and writer. Their partnership was legendary: both personally and professionally, they collaborated across decades. Nora, Guy Davis (a blues musician), and Hasna Muhammad.

Their union also included candid conversations about an open marriage in earlier years (which they later reconsidered) — a subject they addressed in their published writings.

Activism & Social Engagement

Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis were prominent figures in the American civil rights movement, aligning with leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. They used their public platforms to speak on issues of racial justice, equity, and human rights.

She signed public protests (e.g. against the Iraq War), and in 2005, she and Davis received the Lifetime Achievement Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum.

In 1995, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. Kennedy Center Honors.

Final Years & Passing

Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis remained deeply connected until his death in 2005. She continued to work, create, and mentor after his passing.

She died on June 11, 2014 at her home in New Rochelle, New York, at age 91.

Legacy & Influence

Ruby Dee’s legacy is multifaceted and enduring:

• Trailblazing Black Artist: She transcended roles that limited Black actors, portraying complex characters — mothers, matriarchs, lovers, women of conscience.

• Bridge of Art & Activism: She exemplified how an artist can use her voice to challenge injustice and uplift society.

• Role Model & Mentor: Her longevity and integrity inspired countless actors, particularly women and actors of color.

• Cultural Memory: Her performances in A Raisin in the Sun, Do the Right Thing, and American Gangster remain cultural touchstones.

• Artistic Voice in Later Life: Even in her later decades, she continued to act, write, and speak her mind — refusing to fade quietly.

Notable Quotes of Ruby Dee

Ruby Dee’s spoken and written words reflect her wisdom, strength, humor, and compassion. Here are a selection of her powerful quotes:

• “The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within — strength, courage, dignity.”

• “We don’t realize how much racism has tainted our self-image as human beings.”

• “I never thought about myself as an activist when we were coming along. I love the people I love … anything but a racist.”

• “God, make me so uncomfortable that I will do the very thing I fear.”

• “It takes a long time to be really married. One marries many times at many levels within a marriage.”

• “Art is in the process of redefining our relationships to each other … The creative minds are bubbling, bubbling …”

• “The world has improved mostly because unorthodox people did unorthodox things. Not surprisingly, they had the courage and daring to think they could make a difference.”

• “Calling all sisters. Calling all righteous sisters. Calling all women.”

Lessons from Ruby Dee

From Ruby Dee’s life and voice, we can draw enduring lessons:

1. Let your artistry serve your conscience.
   She believed that acting is not separate from life, but a site where passion and principle intersect.

2. Advance with integrity, consistently.
   Her decades-long career was built not on fleeting fame but sustained excellence and moral clarity.

3. Speak even when it’s uncomfortable.
   Her activism sometimes brought resistance, but she pressed on, modeling that art and justice often demand courage.

4. Invest in relationships and community.
   Her partnership with Ossie Davis, and her involvement with artistic and social circles, show the power of mutual support.

5. Grow through all stages of life.
   From young performer to elder stateswoman, she adapted without losing her core self.

Conclusion

Ruby Dee was more than a great actress — she was a force of conscience, persistence, and love. From Harlem theater to Hollywood screens, from civil rights marches to her final performances, she embodied a life of fusion: art and activism, legacy and relevance. Her words still resonate, her roles still move us, and her spirit still teaches us what it means to live with purpose and grace.