Sylvia Massey Cunningham

She was born on April 23, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, to the late Mardell Combs and Christian Massey. Sylvia was one of twelve children, including Mary Combs, Donny Combs, Joanie Combs, Brenda Combs, Wayne Combs, Mark Combs, Kathy Combs, Louise Massey, Merrill Massey, Bobby Massey, and Wayne Massey.

A true renaissance woman, Sylvia was ahead of her time in both intellect and creativity. She earned two master’s degrees—in Business and Education—from St. Louis University. After marrying Donald Robert Cunningham while raising their two children, Don Cunningham and Devon Cunningham Sylvia moved with her family to Los Angeles in 1968 to pursue both creative and professional opportunities.

Sylvia devoted decades to education, shaping countless lives as a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District until her retirement in 2000. In recognition of her dedication and excellence, she received the prestigious Order o’ the Blue Ribbon Award from LAUSD.

Her artistic talents were equally remarkable. Sylvia began her acting career at the Watts Writers Workshop and became a celebrated playwright and actress, passionately advocating for Black women in the arts. She went on to become founder of Black Women in Performing Arts. In 1987, she received the McDonald’s

Literacy Achievement Award in New York City and won the August Wilson Playwriting Award for best play portraying the Black experience in America. She also hosted a Comcast cable show, where she interviewed and highlighted up-and-coming artists and entrepreneurs.

Sylvia loved to travel, visiting all seven continents, though she held a special fondness for island beaches—particularly Jamaica and the Bahamas.