FRIDAY, Oct. 4, 2019 — Diahann Carroll, who broke barriers in the 1960s with her TV show “Julia,” has died from cancer at 84. As the star of the NBC sitcom from 1968 to 1971, she ushered in new opportunities for black actors.
“Julia” was a hit with both black and white viewers. In its first season it climbed to No. 7 in the Nielsen ratings, the New York Times noted.
Jack Gould, in his review of the show in the Times, noted that Hollywood is known for “tiptoeing around anything too controversial.” But, “at all events the breaking of the color line in TV stardom on a regular weekly basis should be salutary,” he added.
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