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Who Are Vivian and Andrew Allen? All You Need To Know About Debbie Allen And Phylicia Rashad's Parents
Debbie And Phylicia are two of the most popular American actresses who have had great support from their parents. Here's everything you need to know about Debbie Allen and Phylicia's Rashad parents.
Actors Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad were raised in Houston by their parents, Andrew and Vivian Allen, where they developed a deep love for the performing arts. Andrew was a dentist in the city, while Vivian was a poet and cultural activist who worked with the Harris County Community Association.
During their childhood in Texas, the state was deeply divided, and the sisters faced racial discrimination. This challenging environment led their family to relocate to Mexico for a time. Throughout these difficult experiences, Vivian supported Debbie and Phylicia in their artistic endeavors, helping them navigate through those tough times. Today, Debbie and Phylicia have made names for themselves in the acting industry and are regarded as icons.
The Allen sisters, originally from Houston, Texas, are especially renowned for their significant contributions to the entertainment industry. Phylicia Rashad rose to fame as Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show and later served as a faculty member, guest lecturer, and dean of Howard University's School of Arts. Debbie Allen is celebrated for her work on productions like Fame and A Different World, as well as for revolutionizing Hollywood choreography.
In this article, let's dive deeper into the lives of Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad’s parents, Vivian and Andrew Allen!
Vivian and Andrew share four kids
Vivian and Andrew Allen welcomed four children together—two sons and two daughters. While Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad pursued careers in the film industry, their two brothers chose to stay out of the spotlight. Andrew Arthur "Tex" Allen Jr. is a talented jazz pianist, and Hugh Allen is a real estate financier.
Vivian and Andrew raised their kids in Texas
Living in the heart of Houston’s artistic community, Vivian and Andrew raised their children in Texas. Phylicia reminisced in a 2018 interview with Town & Country, saying, "For us, the arts were as much a part of life as climbing trees."
When Phylicia Rashad returned to Texas to perform at Jones Hall with the Houston Symphony, she spoke candidly with the Houston Chronicle about her roots. Phylicia revealed that she was raised in Houston and spent much of her childhood attending the music hall to watch the Houston Symphony perform. However, Texas was segregated during her childhood. Debbie once recounted, "I couldn't go to dance class because I was Black."
Debbie and Phylicia's mother, Vivian is a poet and scholar
Vivian Allen is a poet, cultural activist, and American classicist. Her most famous work is a 1952 book of poems titled Spice of Dawns. According to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, this work earned her a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize.
In 1957, Vivian Allen self-published a highly regarded long-form poem titled Hawk. Beyond her literary achievements, Vivian, the mother of Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad, has a deep passion for education. According to Ebony, she not only studied and translated books on Greek and Mayan astronomy and culture but also studied classical Greek at Princeton, Columbia, and Rice Universities.
Vivian’s academic contributions have been recognized with honorary doctorates from Wilberforce University and Bennett College. In 1973, she collaborated with the Houston-based Harris County Community Association to develop her patented education method. This initiative was so well-regarded that Nancy Hanks, then-director of the National Endowment for the Arts, suggested it as a national model for community-based arts education.
Debbie and Phylicia's father, Andrew was a dentist and a veteran
In a March 2017 interview with the Houston Chronicle, Phylicia Rashad shared that one of her favorite places to spend time as a child was her father's dental office. During her teenage years, he even employed her as his summertime receptionist.
On Veterans Day in 2020, Phylicia honored her father, Andrew Arthur Allen Sr., who was also a veteran. She posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, writing, "Happy Veteran's Day to my father, Andrew Arthur Allen Sr.!" She shared a photo of her father cradling her as a newborn, adding, "I sincerely miss you."
Debbie and Phylicia learned to love arts from Vivian
Vivian Allen has always passionately encouraged her daughters to value and pursue their artistic passions. "It was my mother who taught us choral speech; it was my mother who taught us to tumble across the living room floor," Phylicia Rashad shared in a 2010 interview with NPR.
In an October 2018 interview with Town & Country, Debbie Allen revealed that when she was younger, no ballet school in Texas would accept her because of her race. To overcome this barrier, Vivian built a ballet barre in their home and hired a professional dancer to teach Debbie.
Vivian and Andrew divorced when their kids were young
Phylicia was six years old when Vivian and Andrew parted ways, according to The Huffington Post. In January 2017, the actress shared with the publication some childhood memories, saying, "I have great memories of family." We always have each other to turn to and may do so.
Andrew passed away in 1984
The actresses' father passed away from diabetes in 1984 at the age of 63. Debbie revealed her father's advice regarding the illness in a September 2023 interview with Essence: "Just keep dancing Deborah Kaye and you won't get this." The performer made care to put her health first right away after taking his advice to heart.
Vivian was recignized by NASA
Debbie and Phylicia's mother, Vivian Ayers Allen, received recognition for her services to NASA. NASA honored the women who helped with the Apollo 11 mission, which resulted in Neil A. Armstrong's historic landing on the moon in 1969, with a ceremony on July 19 at what was once known as the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston.
During the space race that resulted in a moon landing in the 1960s, women played crucial roles at the space center. One of those women was the poet, activist, and academic Vivian, who was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and wrote the poem Hawk, which associated freedom with space travel.
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