Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins

Actress Ashley Blaine Featherson was a charming presence on television and in features like "Dear White People" (2014) while also steering the course of her career by producing her own episodic web series. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in the suburb of Gaithersburg, Maryland, Featherson delved deeply into performing at an early age; inspired by her older sister's involvement in the arts, she participated in numerous local stage productions and theater-related camps before making her professional acting debut at the age of 14. After earning her bachelor's degree in musical theater from Howard University, Featherson lit out for Los Angeles, where she logged minor roles in television pilots and short films while supporting herself through a variety of jobs. In 2013, Featherson decided to fully devote her energies to her acting career; while producing, co-writing and co-starring in the web series "Hello Cupid" (2013-14), which was later broadcast on BET, she also landed roles on "Glee" (Fox, 2009-2015) and in the independent critical hit "Dear White People" (2014), playing the fiercely Afro-centric student Curls. More shorts and television features preceded a supporting role in actress Amber Tamblyn's directorial debut, "Paint It Black" (2016) and a starring role in a series based on "Dear White People" (2017-) for Netflix.