With a vintage recording of “Meet Me in St. Louis” blaring from the speakers and the July sun beaming directly on Delmar, both sides of the street were packed with observers eager to share in a special moment. Emmy-Award nominated actress, singer and bestselling author Jenifer Lewis was the woman of the hour. The Kinloch native was being honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Emerging from the lobby of the Moonrise Hotel, Lewis appeared visibly overwhelmed as she made her way across the street – where her name is now permanently etched among the St. Louis stars that line the Delmar Loop.
Her signature ruby red lips were open wide with the kind of smile that only pure joy can elicit. Her arms and hands were open wide as if she was giving every one of her fans, supporters, family and friends an imaginary group hug.
“A phenomenal woman, who has excelled in multiple fields of entertainment,” Edwards said. “Recognized for her comedic charisma and rich portrayal of matriarchal figures, she is known as ‘The Mother of Black Hollywood.’”
“I am just blown away,” Lewis said during her remarks. “Everyone is asking me which one means the most – this one today or the Hollywood walk of fame. One made me. And the other one is telling me I made it. It is equal.”
Delmar Loop developer and St. Louis Walk of Fame founder Joe Edwards used the title of a poem written by a fellow beloved Black woman honoree (Maya Angelou) to introduce Lewis Saturday morning.
“A phenomenal woman, who has excelled in multiple fields of entertainment,” Edwards said. “Recognized for her comedic charisma and rich portrayal of matriarchal figures, she is known as ‘The Mother of Black Hollywood.’”
Lewis recalled the defining moments of her childhood that ultimately led her to Hollywood, where she received a star two years ago on Jackie Washington Day – from her fictional Lifetime Network cult-classic “Jackie’s Back.” Because Jackie Washington Day fell on a Monday this year, her St. Louis Walk of Fame Ceremony took place on July 13.
“I sang my first solo at First Baptist Church [of Kinloch] when I was five years old,” Lewis said. “And from the reaction of the congregation – they were screaming and crying and carrying on and saying, ‘sing Jenny. Sing Jenny.’ I stood there and said, ‘this is the life.’ And I never looked back.”
She pointed out the moment that compelled her to always give back. Lewis was watching a tiny black and white television. During the commercial break a public service announcement came on requesting help for starving children in Africa.
“I said to myself, if I can be famous, I can be rich. If I can be rich, I will feed those kids,” Lewis said. “I want you to know, I fed a lot of kids. I am so grateful for that.”
There was an overflow of gratitude for those who poured into her life. She named every one of her siblings – and several teachers –thanking them for believing in her to the point where she felt success was her only option.
She gave the crowd an assignment in her speech.
“I don’t want you to leave here talking about me and how fabulous I am,” Lewis said. “I want you to leave here talking about how fabulous you are. I want you to do the work. If you were to write a song about yourself, what would be the first lyrics?”
According to Lewis, finding one’s passion is the most essential ingredient for success.
“How do you find your passion? Find what makes you happy,” Lewis said. “Singing and dancing and acting a damn fool made me happy. So that’s what I did.”
Gratitude after the fall
She sang, danced and acted her way to a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Four months after receiving her Hollywood star, she was in the ICU of a Kenyan hospital after falling ten feet from a balcony while on a safari in Tanzania.
Lewis didn’t tell her siblings – or hardly anyone else – about the fall until she was in recovery.
“I didn’t want y’all to know I had fallen until I could tell you how I got up.,” Lewis said. “The working title of my third book is ‘Get Up…Get the [expletive] up. When I was being airlifted out, I couldn’t hear the helicopter propeller. But what I could hear was my soul screaming, ‘Jenny, whatever this is, you can come back. If you are breathing, little girl, you can come back.’”
And did she ever. It took a year of physical therapy, but Lewis was able to repeat the same kick that she delivered when she received her Hollywood star.
The crowd exploded with applause.
“I knew if I could get my kick back, I would be alright,” Lewis said.
In the middle of her remarks, Lewis provided her own PSA about the upcoming election.
“You don’t get to say he’s too old. So what,” Lewis said. “You are voting for democracy – do you hear what I am telling you – about freedom. There will be no more freedom. They will tear up the constitution and he [Trump] will be king of the world. Don’t get it twisted. Get your [expletive] out and vote.”
Lewis dove back into her personal history of growing up in Kinloch. She spoke of her star on the Kinloch Walk of Fame, which is near the catholic school where she would participate in talent shows as Gladys Knight and her cousins as her pips.
Lewis discussed being warned by her mother to never go to Ferguson alone when she was a little girl due to the racial tension. But Ferguson had a movie theater and Kinloch did not. She’d sneak there anyway, purchase a bag of popcorn for 25 cents, sit in the balcony and imagine herself on the big screen.
“And now here I am, 68 movies later, 600 episodic television shows and four Broadway shows later,” Lewis said. “Don’t let nothing stop you. Find your passion. Don’t think you are going to get somewhere and be happy. You’ve got to get happy on your way to happy. I am happy to be home. And I can’t tell y’all how grateful I am.”
The gratitude went both ways.
“She may be the mother of Black Hollywood,” District 4 St. Louis County Councilwoman Shalonda Webb said as she presented Lewis with a proclamation. “But you will always be the daughter of St. Louis County – and Kinloch, Missouri.”
I just love Jennifer Lewis my hometown of kinloch Auntie much love continue success in the future