Julian Mayfield

Biography

Julian Hudson Mayfield was a multifaceted artist and civil rights advocate born on June 6, 1928, in Greer, South Carolina. He transitioned from studying at New York University to a career in theatre, producing his own play Fire in 1951 and directing Ossie Davis's Alice in Wonder in 1952. A key figure in the Black Cultural Left, Mayfield was also an actor, with notable roles including Tank Williams in "Uptight" (1968).