Toni Vaz, an actor and activist who created the NAACP Image Awards, passed away on Oct. 4 in Woodland Hills, Calif. She was 101.
After appearing in front of the camera for the first time, Vaz was cast in films like “Anna Lucasta” as well as “The Singing Nun,” she transitioned into stunt work, which was a first for a Black woman.
Vaz worked as a double for Cicely Tyson on the TV series “Mission: Impossible.”
With ambitions to create an awards ceremony for people of color, Vaz founded the NAACP Image Awards. The first ceremony was held on Aug. 13, 1967, at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s International Ballroom.
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