This month, Pump It Up Magazine is celebrating Black excellence by highlighting trailblazers who have made a lasting impact in entertainment and media. Among them is LaRita Shelby—a dynamic actress, writer, producer, and broadcaster whose influence extends from Hollywood to the global airwaves of Armed Forces Radio.
With a career spanning decades, LaRita has graced the screen in iconic TV classics like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, JAG, and South Central, while also using her voice to uplift U.S. service members stationed in 57 countries. Her work in radio and film has cemented her as a media powerhouse, breaking barriers and redefining representation in entertainment.
In this exclusive interview, LaRita shares her journey as a Black woman in Hollywood, the evolution of opportunities for Black creatives, and her unwavering commitment to storytelling and empowerment. She also reflects on the significance of Black History Month, the lessons she’s learned in the industry, and how she continues to inspire future generations through her work in film, media, and branding.
Pump It Up Magazine: This month is all about celebrating Black excellence. What does Black History Month mean to you?
LaRita Shelby: My life was shaped by the knowledge of Black History, which is equally entwined in American history and world history. It shaped my self-image and sense of empowerment. I thank my family and my schools for that. It gave me historic examples of people who constantly rise above. Because of my education in Black History, I know that when someone says: “They gave us the shortest month in the year,” they are unaware of why February was chosen.
In 1926 Carter G. Woodson, (known as the Father of Black History) petitioned the nation to implement Negro History Week the second week in February because it coincided with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass (Feb. 14th) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12th). That was the significance of February. In 1970, twenty years after Carter G. Woodson’s death, the celebration acknowledging the achievements of black people was officially extended to the full month of February. Also, our people were educated in schoolhouses, churches, community centers and by oral traditions. Many black inventions were created to make the work of the servants faster and more efficient. The aptitude for science, engineering, agriculture and technology was etched in the DNA of those who survived the middle passages. A month of official acknowledgement was never a mandate for the teaching of and learning of our history to start and end there.
Pump It Up Magazine: You’ve starred in Hollywood classics like South Central, Martin, The Fresh Prince, and JAG. What was it like being a Black woman in Hollywood, and how has the industry changed for Black creatives today?
LaRita Shelby: I’ve been involved in entertainment and journalism my whole life. I used to mimic stars that I saw on television. I also participated in the choir and drama department in school and in church. I was blessed to have encouragement from my family and my teachers. I was always fascinated by Hollywood and knew that I wanted to live here someday.
Seeing people who looked like me always added spark and inspiration for me. As I watch reruns of TV and movie classics, I feel greatly blessed that I grew up to work with some of the stars that I saw as a child. The short list includes Sheryl Lee Ralph, the late Janet Dubois, James Garner and my idol Debbie Allen. I came to Hollywood in the 80’s as a student at LMU (Loyola Marymount University). I competed in several talent searches that could have been game changing for me early in my career. These were really big auditions: Fame, Dreamgirls, The Cosby Show and The Fresh Prince of Belair. Rejection is a part of the business.
Nowadays those who come close to a big win can still catapult their careers because they earned notoriety on the national stage. Back in those days, no one cared if you beat out 1500 contenders and came close. You rise with anticipation, and you fall hard from a near miss. I don’t watch the TV talent shows to this day for this reason. The losses have made me strong, but I have many wins to celebrate. However, those early failures still sting.
While I didn’t get to be a regular on The Fresh Prince, I did guest star as Young Aunt Viv. Not only did I get to work with Oliver Stone on my first film, I got to star with my industry big brother Reginald T. Dorsey. The movie South Central is an urban classic because of the positive message. I’m happy to be working in my 4th decade in the industry. I’ve advanced from a sassy teen on A Different World, to being O.G. Bobby Johnson’s Baby Mama, to now playing the moms and aunties of the ingenues today. Of course, I still covet more historical roles, and I’d like to play a badass attorney, but Hollywood can have a narrow view of how mature women should look. Hey, Black don’t crack. So hopefully Hollywood will find a balance of roles for women who are authentically grown and sexy and not just type cast as the quirky aunties or stiff grandmas. We are far more varied than that.
I salute the plethora of Black creatives. Today the opportunities for content creation are endless. About seven years ago, I put on my writer/producer hat. I’m shopping five screenplays, from TV Christmas movies to music bio-pics for theatrical release. What is most disheartening is the runaround that writers and producers endure along the way. I had no idea! As an actor, you audition, or you’re offered a role. You either get the role or you don’t but you do not get strung along from year to year with a stream of empty promises delivered straight faced. This is not for the faint of heart.
Now I realize why so many Oscar winners are silver haired by the time they finally hold that golden statue. I still count it a blessing to have a team that believes in me. The hope for success is not just for me alone, it is also for those I wish to hire and the people who believe in me. One such couple is Jerry and Gloria Cummings. Jerry is the last surviving member of Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes. I have written the screenplay based on his book “From Gold to Glory.” It’s quite a story, filled with heart and soul. We hope to attract some big name music starts to the project.
Pump It Up Magazine: SB MEDIA, a division of Shall Be Productions, is all about standing beside the brand. How does this philosophy shape your work and the way you connect with your audience?
LaRita Shelby: Today, I describe my work in these categories: Business, Entertainment Education & The Arts. In 2016 I wrote the book The Brand Beside The Band: 10 reasons to step from behind and stand beside the brand. I wrote the book for my own resolve and to inspire others. I had just come through an era of uncertainty in my life and career. I was divorced, with a young son and certainly at an odd age in Hollywood. The auditions and opportunities were few.
Additionally, this was when my multiple radio contracts came to an end. I was an international radio broadcaster for Armed Forces Radio. I had been a producer and co-host of a national entertainment news program “Radioscope” and for 15 years I voiced two extremely popular characters “Nikki T” and “Pookie” on the Tom Joyner Morning show heard by 8 million people daily. The thing is no one knew it was me. These were comedic roles, with performances that could have garnered a role on any sitcom, but no one really knew or cared. I didn’t heavily promote myself here in the states. I was grateful and humble. So, when all of these great opportunities ended, I found myself having to introduce myself as well as my talents and contributions time and time again.
It’s been said that technology is the driver of social change. The landscape of social media had not yet evolved when I was at the peak of my career back then. It was socially acceptable to be private and discretionary about your life and career. Fast forward, the concept of branding and self-promotion is not only acceptable but expected these days.
The lessons of the past provide fuel for the present. You are just as important as every brand, every entity and every success story that you’ve been a part of. You can’t afford to stand behind a product because no company is standing behind you. Come forth and proudly stand on equal ground. You are not just a talent; you are the brand. In the world of high stakes competition for nearly every facet of life, the first goal is to connect with yourself. Find out who you are authentically and then seize every opportunity to let the world know. I now consult for marketing, branding and media relations via SB Media and I write and produce content via Shall Be Productions. I also earned my Masters in Media and Communications Psychology with a Concentration in Media Leadership in 2014.
Pump It Up Magazine: Your career spans radio, acting, writing, and producing. What has been the most rewarding part of your journey so far?
LaRita Shelby: For seven years I was a contractor with the Department of Defense via Armed Forces Radio and Television Services (AFRTS). My radio show was on air during Desert Storm. I met a soldier who was stationed in Afghanistan during that time who said that he and his boys would skip dinner to get back to the tent to hear my show because the songs reminded them of home. He gave me his cap at an autograph session in Japan. It’s one of my most treasured possessions.
I said earlier that my career includes Business, Entertainment, Education and the Arts. For ten years I conducted a drama therapy group at a level 14 lock down psychiatric facility for teens. I worked with scores of young people during my time there. Two are stand outs. One was non-verbal until he came to my drama therapy group. Even the counselors were stunned when he first spoke during an improv session. We were doing an exercise with Shakespeare’s quote from Hamlet: “To Be or Not To Be.” I was told to skip this young man because he probably wouldn’t participate. I ignored them and coerced him to stand and deliver. When he did, the room was in an uproar. I didn’t know that those were the first words he had spoken in the month that he had been there.
The other was a young man who didn’t read very well but he could remember whatever he was told. I taught him about Terence, the North African playwright who came to Rome as a slave in or around the year 166 B.C. It was Terence who wrote in the words: “I am a man. I consider nothing that is human, alien to me.”
I taught this to one of my first students. Whenever I approached him from that point on, I asked him: What’s the word? He always held his head high and replied: “I am a man, I consider nothing that is human alien to me.” The purpose was to destigmatize their journey with mental health and regard it as any other condition or challenge faced by the human race.
Pump It Up Magazine: As a military broadcaster on Armed Forces Radio, your voice reached service members worldwide. Now, your shows are housed in the Library of Congress—a historic achievement! What does that honor mean to you, and how do you feel about your legacy being preserved in history?
LaRita Shelby: It is quite an honor. Now that we have social media I can connect with former military broadcasters from around the globe. I have also been contacted by service men and women who remember my show when it was on the air in 57 countries. I am amazed at how much it meant to them and by how the memories prevail. About ten years ago I discovered a folder where I kept fan mail from the show. When I re-read them years later, their impact intensified. One soldier after the next was sharing their wartime experiences and they also shared gratitude for the voice and the music from home that my show and other content meant on AFRTS. I was so moved that I wrote a play about it. It’s called “The Radio Days of L. A. Rita.” I hope to get it to the stage someday soon. Currently, I am also planning for my personal archives to be included the Archives of African American Music and Culture at Indiana University. I have several hundred celebrity interviews from my years with Radioscope, in addition to over 1,000 shows that I recorded for the military.
Pump It Up Magazine: The legendary James Brown did a jingle for The LaRita Shelby Show. How did that collaboration come about, and what was it like working with the Godfather of Soul?
LaRita Shelby: My career as an actress was really budding at the same time that I was producing my shows for Armed Forces Radio. Because I was also a co-host and journalist for Lee Bailey’s Radioscope, I always kept a recording device with me. So, if I was at a Hollywood event, or interviewing a celebrity for Radioscope or acting on a TV show, I would ask the stars to record a message for our troops. That is what happened with James Brown, Will Smith, Jody Whatley and Patti Labelle. I also hosted many stars in studio on the LaRita Shelby Show for Armed Forces Radio. I wanted to give our troops a voice from home and give our Black stars a chance to shout out to our troops.
Pump It Up Magazine: You’re still making waves in film! Tell us about your roles in The Assistant 2 and Stepmother 3 on Tubi. What drew you to these projects, and how do they reflect your evolution as an actress?
LaRita Shelby: I’ve always played cops, which is what I play in Stepmother 2. Nowadays, I get to play moms of adult children. With Tubi, there’s always a revenge seeking lead character in the story who is surrounded by wealthy and sophisticated family and friends. I love those roles. I am truly grateful to the Footage Films family who not only hire me for their films but offer roles based on my body of work. Believe it or not you still have casting directors and filmmakers who ask actors with 20 and 30 years of experience to audition for small roles in their projects. If a role is clearly within the range of an actor’s documented work history, it is honorable to just offer them the role. It’s not about ego but respect. Meanwhile, since so many actors love the craft so much, they will still oblige the audition process. It can be a catch 22.
Pump It Up Magazine: For young Black women looking to follow in your footsteps, what’s your biggest piece of advice?
LaRita Shelby: Play the long game. We’re in a world where almost anything goes, and I mean anything. I was told to be a class act because class never goes out of style. Don’t be afraid to say no and put God first. If you have boundaries, know that your roles will be limited. If you have no boundaries then you can gain the world but lose your soul. The choice is yours.
Respect the work, learn your craft and strive for excellence. When I accepted the role in South Central, that was not my life story. I personally would not glorify that which caused our community pain and division. My big brother advised me. He told me to look for the message, is there a message here? I said yes. I did the role and now the story and the message have stood the test of time. Years later I met a woman with tears in her eyes. She was a reformed drug user, who had lost her child but rehabilitated herself. She said that when she saw my movie, she saw herself in the role I played, and she made a change.
I wish I had hundreds of movie roles to my credit. I’m still in the fight. I am also humbled that my work has made an impact. That’s worth all of the money in the world.
Enjoy the journey and cultivate all of your talents and skills along the way so that you have multiple ways to express yourself creatively but also sustain yourself financially. Don’t just strive to be rich or famous, strive to be a Spiritually rooted and grounded whole person. You’ll reap both tangible and intangible rewards.
LaRita Shelby is represented by Media Artists Group.
LaRita “Jazzy Rita” ShelbySB Music, Media & Marketing
SBMediaandMarketing.com
Her music is on all digital platforms under Jazzy Rita Shelby
For more info visit: LaRitaShelby.com
