Actor / Director Profile

Ms. Abernathy starred for four years as a Series Regular on Lifetime Television's critically acclaimed dramatic series, "Any Day Now." She received critical acclaim from Film Critic Roger Ebert for her performance in "Gods And Generals" for Warner Bros. She also starred in New Line Cinema's comedy "Grilled" and Lions Gate's comedy "Leprechan 6 - Back 2 'Da Hood." She was also the leading lady in the award winning HBO film "Don King, Only In America," NBC's award nominated "The Tempest" opposite Peter Fonda, in HBO's award winning "Miss Evers Boys" and in the Directors Guild of America Award Winning "Murder In Mississippi."Along with her husband Dar Dixon, she has created, produced and directed the project "St. Francis." She is upcoming in the independent film, "59 Seconds" and can be seen in the TV pilot Delmar, CSI Las Vegas, Lincoln Heights (two episodes), House, Commander and Chief (six episodes), The Closer, Judging Amy and 24.She was born in the midst of the American Civil Rights Movement to Juanita and Reverend Doctor Ralph David Abernathy, who created with his best friend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. a movement which changed the course of American History. Her life began with the bombing of her parent's home, to attending all of the major Civil Rights Marches, to integrating the elementary school system in the South. Because the Abernathy home was the preferred meeting place for Dr. King, Dr. Abernathy and their staff, Donzaleigh had a myopic view into the integral decision making process that helped to shape American Laws and society by the creation of the Civil Rights Bill, the Public Accommodations Act and the Voting Rights Act.To honor of her parents, Ms. Abernathy authored the history book, "Partners To History, Martin Luther King, Ralph David Abernathy and the Civil Rights Movement," published by Random House/Crown. The coffee table pictorial of American History which is sold out was nominated as one of the "Best Books of 2004" for Young Adults by the American Library Association. Attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. wrote the foreword.Ms. Abernathy is a founding member of the Board of Trustees of the New Visions Foundation which created New Roads Schools and several other schools in the Los Angeles area. Her life is profiled in the books "Fearless Women" and "Secrets of Successful African American Women."