By Kevin Epps
There’s a saying in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, “If you can make it out of here, you can make it anywhere!” That’s not just a cliché, it’s a code for survival, a badge of honor—and for actress, director, and producer Terri J. Vaughn, it’s a truth she lives every day.
Bayview-Hunters Point To Hollywood
Born and raised in this proud, predominantly African American community rich with culture and resilience, Terri’s journey is a testament to divine faith, family love, and community pride. She is not just a success story—she’s their success story. In every smile she flashes on screen, in every project she births behind the camera, in every young girl she uplifts through her Take Wings Foundation, the Bayview-Hunters Point spirit lives on.
Terri first stole America’s heart as the unforgettable Lovita Alizay Jenkins on The Steve Harvey Show, a role that earned her three NAACP Image Awards. “I loved playing a character that grew up in the ‘hood and worked hard to be positive,” she said. “It was very close to my own life,” Terri highlighted. She later brought her joy and comedic timing to UPN’s All of Us, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, and, recently, Ava DuVernay’s Cherish the Day, BounceTV’s Johnson, and the award-winning HBO podcast We Stay Looking.
Her creative range is as wide as her heart. From cult classics like Friday and Don’t Be a Menace to powerful guest roles on ER and Soul Food, Vaughn has shown America that Black women from the hood can be funny, smart, vulnerable, and commanding—all at once.
Family Time
Terri is also a proud mother of three—two sons and one daughter—who are, in many ways, an extension of her legacy of love, strength, and vision. Her devotion to her family is as steadfast as her devotion to her craft and her community.
Her love for performance and community was present from the very beginning. “Terri loved her community—Hunter’s Point—her friends, her family, and entertaining,” says her mother. She shares about her talented daughter, “I remember when she was a young girl, she and her grandmother, my mom, would give live shows in our garage, and she would invite the neighborhood kids. Her grandmother was the MC, and Terri was the entertainer. Terri loved it when her grandmother would announce, ‘And now, hereeee’s Terri’”.
Those moments were more than just childhood play—they were the first signs of a lifelong passion. “Little did any of us know she would end up becoming an actress,” her mother continues. With a steadfast dedication to her child, she said, “But once she grew up and decided that she was going to act, the whole family got behind her to support her.”
Terri’s younger sister, Tracy Ward, adds a heartfelt reflection,
“I am so proud of my Big Sister! When I think about Terri, it’s not just her career accomplishments that come to mind, it’s her strength, tenacity, and determination that truly stands out. I’ve watched her face many obstacles, and she’s always done it with a spirit of love mixed with a ‘can do’ attitude that honestly, lights a fire in all of us.”
She happily mentions more about her sister’s impact, “Her journey has been a living lesson in what perseverance looks like, and her spirit embodies the term ‘She Believed She Could So She Did’ – a constant source of encouragement for our whole family and an amazing role model for girls who look like us! She’s more than just my sister; she’s a beautiful example of what you can achieve with hard work and heart, and she’s profoundly impacted how I see my own potential. Truly an example of Bayview Hunters Point’s brilliance, resilience, and pride.”
Giving Back To The Community
Yet Terri’s greatest role may be the one she plays off-screen. In 1997, she founded the Take Wings Foundation, which mentors girls ages 13–18 from at-risk communities and foster care in the Bay Area. “We motivate, uplift, and inspire them to be positive, productive, and successful,” Terri says. “It’s truly amazing to watch them soar,” she affirms.
Terri’s passion for mentoring is rooted in a deeper spiritual truth that guides her daily, “My faith is what has been the driving force throughout my life,” says Terri. “I had to really learn how to trust myself, realizing that my instincts and dreams are given to me by The Most High God. I trust my instincts and vision now more than I ever have. It has been a process with a lot of self work. I’ve never felt freer!”
Through her production company Nina Holiday Entertainment, she has produced over 16 projects and given countless creatives—especially Black women—a seat at the table. Her acclaimed 2009 documentary Angels Can’t Help But Laugh remains a groundbreaking work that explores the challenges and triumphs of Black actresses in Hollywood.
In 2011, she opened The Green Room Actor’s Lounge in Atlanta—a creative space and bookstore serving as a haven for actors, particularly those far from home while filming. “Actors are interesting creatures with creative needs,” she once said. Constantly taking her role to give back to her community seriously, she states, “I plan to serve those needs and more!”
A Symbol Of Hope
Through every evolution, from Lovita to director to mentor, Terri remains grounded in the community that raised her. In Bayview-Hunters Point, the pride in her journey runs deep. She is a daughter of the neighborhood—and every time she graces a screen or lifts up a young girl, she sends a message back home, “We can fly, too!”
“I want young women to know that all their dreams are valid and possible,” says Terri. “When you lead from your heart and focus on doing the work, your dreams can and will happen. We have to protect our dreams by drowning out the noise, the naysayers, the haters—and trust that God chose you specifically to create the life you envision for yourself! You have the power!”
The love Terri receives from her hometown runs deep—and it’s a reflection of the love she pours back. Her strength, humility, and unwavering belief in others have made her more than a celebrity; she’s a symbol of hope.
Kevin Epps is a Dad, award-winning filmmaker, community activist, author, executive editor of the SF Bay View “National Black Newspaper” and a board member for the SF Bay View Foundation. Reach him at kevin@sfbayview.com or on Instagram: kevinepps1.
