Maya Angelou, Denzel Washington top list of favorite celebs on EBONY 1994 Readers' Poll

Jet, Sept 12, 1994

Maya Angelou, Denzel Washington, O.J. Simpson and Angela Bassett are among the hottest Black personalities in the 1994 EBONY Annual Readers' Poll featured in the magazine's September issue.

Award-winning poet Maya Angelou and Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington were selected the favorite Black personalities by EBONY readers. In this year's magazine poll, they edged out Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby in this category. However, Ms. Winfrey won the favorite TV star honor. Martin Lawrence won the favorite male TV star honor and Angela Bassett was selected favorite female movie star. What's Love Got To Do With It, the movie in which Ms. Bassett portrayed legendary rock n' roller Tina Turner, was selected EBONY readers' favorite movie, and "Living Single," starring Queen Latifah, was picked favorite TV program.

The poll also highlights some of the issues foremost on the minds of Blacks. Of those polled, 63 percent say it's impossible for O.J. Simpson to get a fair trial and 66.7 percent of the men and 65 percent of women expressed sympathy for Simpson.

EBONY readers also voiced their opinions on President Clinton's performance on domestic issues, the most pressing problems facing Black America, and voted retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell the best person suited to lead Black America into the 21st Century.