Born in London to Nigerian parents, her official name is Cynthia Onyedinmanasu Chinasaokwu Erivo. She is only one of eleven black actresses to be nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award and is only the second black woman to ever be nominated twice for the Best Actress Oscar. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Cynthia Erivo embodies the essence of creativity and social consciousness. Her work extends beyond entertainment; she uses her platform to advocate for social justice and equality, inspiring others to join her in the fight for change. Her diverse talents and fearless artistic choices showcase a creative spirit that is not confined to one medium, making her a true innovator in the arts. Being two teachers that have a love for theatre we wanted to pick someone who was in that field. For us her two most notable characters, Elphaba (Wicked) and Harriet Tubman (Harriet) will help us explore the themes of diversity and equality in an engaging way.