Lizan Mitchell
Lizan Mitchell is a film, Broadway, and television actress known for her roles in the films The Preacher's Wife and The Human Stain. She has also played television roles such as Clara in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Guiding Light.
Early years
Mitchell was raised in the Bluford, Dudley Heights, and Warnersville communities of Greensboro, North Carolina. She attended Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Elementary School, Notre Dame Catholic High School, and North Carolina A&T State University. From an early age, she felt that she was a performer. Her first acting role was portrayal of a witch in a children's play at Bennett College when she was 7 years old.Although Mitchell's high school was integrated, she felt the effects of racism when plays were produced there. She said, "There were no roles for black students. You were either a slave or you sang or you could be a servant. We realized it wasn't fair." During her high school years, she and other Black young people were arrested for protesting segregation practices in the community.