Jurnee Smollett-Bell is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress appearing on television sitcoms, with her most significant regular role being on On Our Own. She received critical acclaim and Critic's Choice Award for playing Eve in the 1997 independent drama film Eve's Bayou.

As an adult, Smollett-Bell has starred in the films The Great Debaters and Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. She also had starring roles in a number of TV series, including the NBC sports drama "Friday Night Lights", and the HBO vampire drama "True Blood". In 2016, Smollett-Bell began playing a leading role as "Rosalee", the house slave, in the WGN America period drama "Underground". Smollett-Bell has won three NAACP Image Awards. In 2018, Smollett-Bell was cast as DC Comics superheroine Black Canary in the DC Extended Universe, intended to make her first appearance in Birds of Prey. Smollett-Bell is currently starring in "Lovecraft Country" on HBO.

In addition to acting and singing, Smollett is the youngest board member of Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA), a nonprofit organization working in the US and South Africa to combat HIV/AIDS, advance human rights and equality, safeguard voting rights, and assist educated and empower children orphaned by AIDS as well as other at-risk youth. Smollett has been involved with ANSA since the age of 11 and in March 2006 became ANSA's pioneer presenter for “Positively Speaking,” a program of Los Angeles Unified District HIV/AIDS Prevention Unit that brings people who are infected or affected by the disease into middle and high school classes to tell their own stories and lead discussions.

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