Phylicia Rashad & Debbie Allen’s Mom Turns 102: “The True Renaissance Woman”

Phylicia Rashad and her sister played legendary motherly roles on “The Cosby Show” and “A Different World” respectively for decades. But in real life, it was their own mother, Dr. Vivian Ayers, who has been a major support to them, often photographed with the ladies at awards shows and premieres. She also taught them, among many other things, that there were no limits to what they could do and where they could go.

Rashad and Allen say they learned a great deal about motherhood, success and just life in general from their mom, who just turned 102 years old.

Dr. Ayers literary career began in Houston, Texas with the publication of “Spice of Dawns” (1952), a collection of poems that was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. “Hawk,” an allegory of freedom made analogous to space flight, followed and was published on July 11, 1957, just 11 weeks before the launch of Sputnik I. “Hawk” would later earn praise from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at their Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center where enlarged reproductions of the writings are exhibited.

She was once again recognized for her contributions to the NASA projects on July 19, 2024, at the renaming of NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center building to the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of Women of Apollo.”

Her talents and interests also include the research of world cultures. She studied classical Greek at Rice University, Columbia University, and Princeton University. In addition, she has studied and translated texts on Mayan culture and astronomy.

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In 1973, while still living in Houston, Texas and working with the Harris County Community Association, Dr. Ayers collaborated with certified teachers to create her signature program, “Workshops in Open Fields.” This method of education was recommended to the nation as the prototype of grassroots arts programming.

Vivian also had a knack for crunching numbers and was the real-life “hidden figure.” She used to work at the Johnson Space Center as a mathematician in the 1960s.

“It was my mother who taught us choral speech,” Allen shared. “It was my mother who taught us to tumble across the living room floor. It was my mother who gave us a real appreciation for art and literature as living things, not just as something hung on the wall or placed on the shelf — an appreciation for ideas and the power of thought and human intention. My mother gave us a lot — she gave us everything.”

Her Secret to Living to Past 100 Years Old

“Mommy is doing so well, and it made her so happy. I just can’t tell you what that feels like,” explains Allen. “Phylicia and I have such a huge benchmark to live up to now. I’m just trying to stay healthy, and so is Phylicia. We talk about these things so often, it’s how we’re able to continue doing all the things that we do.”

To reach 100 years old is an accomplishment for anyone—no matter who you are. And Phylicia and Debbie share the secret their mom uses to live that long and beyond.

“Mom was a mathematician. She was one of those Hidden Figures women working at NASA; her poetry is written in stone at NASA. She has always used her mind. She was still doing her taxes up until six years ago, I had to tell her, “mom, calm down!” I think her mental capacity has led her to this golden age of 100. She’s had a lot of challenges in her life, and we’ve lived through those challenges with her. But at the end of the day, there’s always been positive energy. No matter what, you have to think positive thoughts, and that was the world we grew up in. I think that’s why we’re the humans we are today; my sister and brothers and I. So we hope everyone will join in once the book is released.”

Ayers Allen was not physically present on the grounds of the Brainerd Institute in 2023 for her 100th birthday party, book release event and poetry festival staged in her honor, but in some way she is always there.

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“This was my mother’s vision,” said Rashad.

“It was my mother’s vision that it should be open like this, that there should be literacy and arts and that’s what we’ve done. This is what she wanted, for this to be open for the people of Chester and surrounding areas to come, congregate and share art.”

Several poets came forward to share their own work, with many citing the work of Ayers as an influence and inspiration. They are certainly not alone in that respect.

As mentioned earlier, her work, “Hawk” (which uses space flight as an allegory of freedom) was celebrated by NASA (enlarged versions of it are in the Kennedy Space Center) and was actually published a few months before the so-called… “space race” began. Vanessa Wyche, director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, attended the birthday event and spoke about what Ayers meant to her. There is written and photographic evidence of the contributions of women and people of color in the history of America’s space program because of Ayers, she said.

“I cannot say thank you enough for use being able to have our history preserved,” Wyche said. “Today, we stand on the shoulders of giants as we reach farther into the stars and push to the moon once again and onto Mars.”

Honoring her mom’s 101st birthday, Allen wrote on Instagram, “Mom ❤️ You are the true Renaissance Woman Lish, Vivian, Condola, Carmen, Gel, Tracey, Natalie, Chloe, Shiloh, Avi, and I aspire to. THANK YOU for giving us a path of Light, Love, Fight and Faith to follow. ✨ We celebrate your 101 Years around the sun!