Malik Yoba

Early life

The fourth of six children, Yoba was born in the Bronx, New York to Mahmoudah Young (née Lanier) and Abdullah Yoba. He was raised in a devout Muslim household. His family had no television set and he was not allowed to do the Pledge of Allegiance. He was not allowed to wear a kufi in school which led his father to protest. He would often go to Yonkers, New York to fill water. He was raised in Harlem, New York.

Career

In 1994, Yoba began his role on the popular Fox police drama series New York Undercover, opposite Michael DeLorenzo. Yoba and DeLorenzo made television history, as the series was the first police drama on American television to feature two people of color in the starring roles. Yoba's work on New York Undercover earned him three consecutive NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series (in 1996, 1997, and 1998).

An accomplished singer and stage actor, Yoba's talents were showcased in His Woman His Wife, in which he had the lead role.

Yoba has also appeared in films such as Cool Runnings and Criminal. He has made appearances on the FOX television series Arrested Development as Ice, a bounty hunter whose real love is party planning. Yoba had a recurring role as Brock Harris on the UPN sitcom Girlfriends. He also appeared in the FX Network's crime drama Thief and the NBC crime drama Raines. He appeared as Gavin in the 2007 Tyler Perry film Why Did I Get Married? and its 2010 sequel Why Did I Get Married Too? In 2009, he co-starred as astronaut Ted Shaw on the futuristic ABC drama Defying Gravity. In 2010, he announced his plans to bring back New York Undercover to the small screen in a modern TV series adaptation of the original series. Law & Order writer Courtney Parker penned a spec script for networks to bid on.

From 2011 to 2012, Yoba appeared as former FBI Special Agent Bill Harken on Alphas, a science fiction drama series about a team of people with special abilities who belong to a secret department attached to the Defense Department. In 2013, Yoba joined the cast of Revolution as Jim Hudson, a former captain of the Monroe Republic. In 2015, he joined the cast of Lee Daniels' Empire as Vernon Turner, Lucious Lyon's business partner and chairman of Empire Entertainment, playing the character through the first season. In 2019, Yoba premiered his one-man stage play, Harlem to Hollywood, at New York's Apollo Theater.{{cite web |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/22/entertainment/malik-yoba-designated-survivor/index.html|title=Malik Yoba takes on a new role

Other ventures

In 2017, Yoba established his company Yoba Development, hoping to provide young people of color with access to the real estate industry. Yoba Development currently has active real estate projects in Baltimore and New York City. In 2019, he served as executive producer and director for The Real Estate Mixtape: Volume 1, I Build NY, a docu-series which follows Yoba as he navigates his first commercial real estate deal in NYC.

Personal life

In 2019, Yoba took to social media to announce he would be a participant in the National Trans Visibility March in Washington, D.C., and publicly revealed he is attracted to trans women, though he considers himself to be heterosexual. It has since been alleged by trans activist Mariah Lopez Ebony that Yoba engaged in inappropriate paid sexual activity with her when she was a minor. Though Yoba denies the allegation, as a result of the media storm regarding the controversial accusation, Yoba was removed from his position as spokesman for Phi Beta Sigma, which is focused on providing mentorship to "pre-teen and teen-aged males" through social, cultural and educational enrichment. Yoba has been married to actress Cat Wilson since December 21, 2003, He was previously married to Trisha Mann, with whom he has a daughter and a son; he has another daughter from a prior relationship.

In the summer of 2021, Yoba underwent quadruple bypass surgery as a result of hereditary heart disease. He is an advocate of plant-based nutrition and walking as medicine. In 2022, Yoba received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and recognition

American Black Film Festival - Winner, Best Documentary, 2016

NAACP Image Award- Winner, 1996,1997,1998

References

References

1. (21 July 2016). "'Designated Survivor': Malik Yoba Joins ABC Drama Starring Kiefer Sutherland".
2. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_text_direct-0=0EB0F208B7A677A3&p_field_direct-0=document_id "TV star shines on others. 'New York Undercover's' Malik Yoba gives back"]. ''The Washington Times''. August 13, 1996. {{Subscription required}}
3. (2016). "The HistoryMakers video oral history with Malik Yoba". The HistoryMakers.
4. (October 27, 2020). "Malik Yoba on 'Empire' Character Vernon: 'He's No Yes-Man' (And More Juicy Tidbits)".
5. [http://www.filmreference.com/film/17/Malik-Yoba.html Malik Yoba Biography (1967– )]. Filmreference.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-20.
6. [https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800024222/bio Malik Yoba Biography – Yahoo! Movies]. Movies.yahoo.com (1967-09-17). Retrieved on 2011-11-20.
7. (August 15, 2016). "Why Cool Runnings and Empire Actor Is The Perfect Example of a Phi Beta Sigma Brother". Watch The Yard.
8. "Malik Yoba | EXIM.GOV".
9. "Hip-Hop Cops", ''[[TV Guide]]'', Oct. 15, 1994, at p. 29.
10. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0256814/ ''His Woman, His Wife'' (Video 2000)]. IMDB.com
11. (9 April 2010). "Malik Yoba Announces New York Undercover Revamp".
12. (June 10, 2022). "Veteran actor brings mixtape to Birmingham to teach and inspire".
13. Stidhum, Tonja Renée. (September 3, 2019). "Malik Yoba Says He's Attracted to Trans Women, Will Host Workshop at the National Trans Visibility March in D.C.". [[The Root (magazine).
14. Sims, Megan. (September 2, 2019). "Trans Woman Accuses Malik Yoba Of Paying Her For Sex When She Was A Teenager". [[NewsOne.com]].
15. Connor, Jay. (September 10, 2019). "Phi Beta Sigma Removes Malik Yoba From Youth Leadership Role Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations". [[The Root (magazine).
16. (March 2, 2022). "'Open Hearts Club': How Malik Yoba is helping Black men in Brooklyn cope with their trauma".
17. (May 16, 2022). "Actor Malik Yoba receives honorary degree from Livingstone College during commencement".