Super single sisters

Ebony, July, 1998

A surgeon, a teacher, an attorney, an actress and a police officer top Ebony's list of 1998 Super Singles. Attractive and intelligent, these Sisters have it all. Some sport six-figure salaries, others have sprawling homes, and still others have exciting careers and the potential to achieve great things in the future. And one even has a crown.

From Atlanta to Fresno and spots in-between, the women featured on the following pages say they are happy being single, but are always on the lookout for a man to share their lives with,, not knowing whether that special guy is as close as a next-door neighbor or as far away as a man on the moon.

Many of these successful women say they will travel to the moon for the right guy, but wouldn't travel next door for a man who doesn't have his act together. "He's just got to have a job for starters," says television and film actress Tamala Jones. "A job is good."

These renaissance women admit some Brothers aren't up to the challenge. In fact, many times they say they scare off men, even the equally successful ones. "Guys always think I am intimidating because I'm outgoing and can play basketball," says Philadelphia Rage star player Dawn Staley, who says she is in search of a guy who's not afraid of her because she's got game. "Hopefully, I will be married in the next two to three years."

Most of the Super Singles say they are attracted to men who are sincere, compassionate, funny and financially independent. Others say the most important thing a man can possess is a deep-rooted fear of God. All say they will know when they find Mr. Right. Until then, they will keep looking.

Tamala Jones (above), 23, is quickly becoming one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood. The Pasadena, Calif., native has a starring role in the upcoming movie Can't Hardly Wait and is a series regular on the NBC situation comedy For Your Love. While Jones says she didn't date until she was 18, she says she quickly realized what type of man she was attracted to. "I like a man with an open mind who is willing to try anything," she says. "I'm young, but when I meet the right guy, I'll know. Until then, I'm going to have fun being single."

Audra McDonald (right), 27, is a Tony Award-wining musical theater star. The Fresno, Calif., native who now lives in New York City and stars in Broadway's Ragtime plans to release an album in August and hopes to star in an upcoming Lincoln Center production of Medea. When it comes to her ideal man, she says, "Looks aren't very important to me, as long as a man takes care of himself. But a turn-off is a man who is really obsessed with his body."

Michelle Morgan (above) is a physician in New York City. When the 33-year-old doctor is not attending to the sick, she enjoys being with a man who "is very outgoing and spontaneous."

Dawn Staley (above, right) is a professional basketball player for the American Basketball League's Philadelphia Rage. The league's all-time assist leader the 28-year-old Philadelphia native is a dominating force on the court. She says that while she has been in "maybe two serious relationships," she hopes to meet Mr. Right and marry in the next few years. She is attracted to a man who is sensitive, outgoing and athletic.

Priscilla Homes (above), 42, is a technical support analyst in Irving, Texas, who enjoys traveling, movies and walks. Her ideal man is sincere, open and hones and "adventurous and loves life."

Cherokee (right) launched her singing career with the duo Auto & Cherokee, but now she is branching out with her soulful debut solo album, I Love...Me, on RCA Records this fall. The native New Yorker says she has been so involved with her career that she hasn't had time to date much. But when she does date, she is attracted to "someone who has a very big heart, is romantic and sexy intelligent and can make me laugh," says the 26-year-old head-turner. "I'm a sucker for laughs."

Edythe Woodruff (above) is a surgeon in residency training in Fresno, Calif. The 28-year-old doctor enjoys horseback riding, snow-skiing and dancing and is attracted to a man who is financially independent, physically fit, ambitious, humorous and family-oriented.

Vicki Yates (right), 44, is a television news anchor in Nashville, The divorced mother of three enjoys traveling, reading, kickboxing and breaking news. Her ideal man has a sense of humor, enjoys being around children, is financially independent and has "a strong relationship with God."

Dana Phillips (below), 33, is a certified public accountant in Chicago. Fluent in Spanish, she enjoys singing and bicycling and a man who charismatic, trustworthy and "love the Lord."

Easter-Penny Jones (above) is a secretary in Atlanta. The 35-year-old Atlantic City native plays the flute and collects wristwatches. She is in search of a man who has a dark complexion, is financially stable and "puts God and his family first."

Yolanda Blackledge (right) is a Washington, D.C., police officer. When she's not patrolling the streets of the nation's capital, the mother enjoys spending time with her son and a man who is intelligent and spiritual.