A talent on the Broadway stage, in the recording studio, and on television, Clinton Hill local Josephine Premice deserves the spotlight this Women’s History Month.

Born in Clinton Hill in 1926 to parents who recently emigrated from Haiti, Josephine was raised in a home that rewarded excellence. As a child, her musical and acting talents were strongly encouraged by her parents and at the young age of 14, she made her professional debut by choreographing a Harlem Theater performance. From there, she continued to grow as a dancer and soon performed at the sold-out First African Dance Festival at Carnegie Hall in 1943.

In 1945, Josephine made her Broadway debut in Blue Holiday at the Belasco Theater. From there, she would go on to star in five Broadway shows, appearing alongside other stage legends, including Lena Horne, James Earl Jones, and Cicely Tyson. Her Broadway career garnered her two Tony award nominations.

Her stage acting eventual led her on to television roles, where she appeared in the television movie The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman in 1974, and on hit shows, including The Jeffersons in 1979 and A Different World from 1991-1993.

Josephine passed away in 2001 at her home in Manhattan at the age of 74.

As part of an ongoing project to highlight the legacy of Clinton Hill artists, the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership created a series of decorative tree guards inspired by the biographies of local artists. Ms. Premice is featured in one of these designs, entitled Boa Alive. The title references a theater review from The New York Times which claimed that her energy on stage “can almost make a feather boa come alive.”

Myrtle Avenue tree guard panel design, entitled Boa Alive, inspired by Clinton Hill resident Josephine Premice. The installed art piece can be found at 497 Myrtle Avenue, near Ryerson Street.

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