'Julia' star Diahann Carroll writes fascinating memoir

Racial tensions were never higher than in l968, with riots at the Democratic National Convention and the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis.

That was the year NBC premiered "Julia," a half-hour comedy show about Julia Baker, a widowed black nurse and her young son, Corey.

Julia was played by singer-actress Diahann Carroll. Her elegance and dignity helped many in the white community empathize with Julia and her situation. But many in the black community felt the series was false and did not resonate with the reality or the traditions of black America. While "Julia" soared to the top of television's Nielsen ratings and received an Emmy nomination in its first year, Carroll herself took a lot of criticism from the black community. The series ended at Carroll's behest after the third season.

Diahann Carroll has written a book, "The Legs are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying, and Other Things I Learned the Hard Way." It's a fascinating read and when you're finished, you'll know why Carroll was tapped for the groundbreaking role as "Julia," and why Carroll accepted it. Not to spoil the book, but Carroll never met a stereotype that intimidated her.

It was my distinct pleasure to interview Carroll, live and onstage at the American Library Association annual conference last summer. To prepare myself, I read everything I could find about her. In the process, I became a Diahann Carroll fan.

Carol Diahann Johnson was born and grew up in New York City. As a young girl her musical talent and stage presence were obvious. She received a Metropolitan Opera scholarship to attend the High School of Music & Art. On a whim, she sent a picture of herself to Ebony magazine. Six months later Ebony called for an interview resulting in a modeling assignment. As a teenager, Carroll was modeling, singing in night clubs, and appearing on TV and in the movies. In l964 Carroll received a Tony Award for her role in the Broadway production of "No Strings." Since then, this talented performer has gone on to demonstrate not only her versatility in almost any medium but her ability to adapt and keep her career fresh.

Typically, a Hollywood actress's career is over at about age 40. Carroll's ability to reinvent herself has kept her career going and she is still working at 73. I think part of her secret is her singing. Carroll has an incredible voice. She was first noticed as a youngster in the church choir and if you look at her career, she returns to singing when the doors of Hollywood or Broadway or TV shut. In this way, she survives to fight another day.

Similarly Carroll has persevered through incredible personal challenges. Like most of us, she has dealt with the opinions, demands and responsibilities of aging parents, and she's had guilt about her absences in the rearing of her only child. Unlike most of us, Carroll has been married four times and has had serious, public relationships with at least two other men.

"The Legs Are the Last to Go" is Carroll's gift of sharing her hard earned wisdom about this thing we call life. She worries about her weight and health, especially as a breast cancer survivor. She doesn't like getting old, but she is dealing with it, admitting to the odd nip and tuck. For the most part, she has come to terms with the fear of being alone. She has found peace with her daughter and enjoys her grandchild.

Listen to my podcast interview with Diahann Carroll at librarybeat.org.