Interview: Michelle Williams (of Destiny's Child) – Singer and Actress - Page 4

Well, growing up, everyone heard so much about this disease, but most thought it was affecting just one type of community. Well, the year before the show, I had gotten so upset about the statistics in the African-American community — especially for women. And my mind kept wondering: Is it because women are getting more promiscuous, or they get together with somebody and they didn't know they were infected – what is going on? I was particularly concerned about the target age group, between 18 and 24 year olds. It only takes one time to sleep with the wrong person.

Right, that's the sad part.

Not all people know that or understand. "He looks healthy." But maybe he can afford the medication, you know? Within the next year, I want to work on a foundation educating young women on their health – sexual health and just their health period. Playing Naomi on Half & Half was an honor, and on the show, she got it on her very first time of sex ever. I wanted to show people that, "Hey, mistakes happen."

Hopefully, people will see that one bad choice can ultimately affect the rest of your life. But I would like to say that life definitely goes on; you can still have a great life. Naomi went on to be this powerful executive. She was still sassy, living her life, doing her thing, and she eventually found love which is great.

In addition to Naomi's role on Half & Half, you have had successful performances in two Broadway musicals: Aida and The Color Purple. Having received critical praise for both performances, what did the Broadway experience teach you about yourself, as an actress and as a singer?

I learned that I can do way more than I thought I could. It was hard at first, because everyone was looking at me all kinds of crazy. Broadway actors and actresses work really hard, so it was an honor for me to even have that opportunity, but at first, they're like, "Oh, God, another pop singer coming to our world." So I had a lot to prove. With Aida and the The Color Purple, I gained new brothers and sisters, new families. I think they knew how hard I was willing to work, especially with The Color Purple.

Article Author: Clayton Perry

Clayton Perry's mission parallels that of John Hope Franklin, Marcus Garvey and Carter G. Woodson. As the founder of the NUBIANO Project, Perry facilitates the design of projects that give voice to the Black diaspora, empower the Black community, …

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