Leslie Uggams Received Hate Mail for Marrying a White Man - They Made It to 57 Years Together & Have a Grandchild

• Leslie Uggams and her husband have been happily married for 57 years despite being in a biracial marriage.
• The couple got married when interracial marriages were frowned upon, and Uggams even received hate mail for it.
• Nowadays, she and her husband live a peaceful life with their loved ones.

Leslie Uggams is a talented actress who achieved fame at a young age, starring in the groundbreaking African-American TV show "Beulah" when she was only six. She later showcased her singing skills at the New York Apollo Theater at the age of nine and continued pursuing an entertainment career.

In 1965, she made headlines when she married Grahame Pratt, her manager, who happened to be white. At the time, interracial marriages were still frowned upon and even illegal in some parts of the United States.

Despite these challenges, Uggams persevered and continued to break barriers, ultimately earning a Tony Award in 1968 for her debut musical on Broadway, "Hallelujah, Baby!" In less than ten years, she landed her breakthrough role as Kizzy Kinte in the 1977 series "Roots," portraying the character of a slave.

After "Roots," Uggams continued to act in several high-profile shows. She was on "Backstairs at the White House," "Magnum P.I.," "The Cosby Show," "All My Children," and more.

Leslie Uggams' Romantic Struggles

Uggams faced disapproval from the African-American community when she started dating white boys. On one occasion, a boy she was seeing gifted her a colorful photo of himself, which she shared with her aunt.

Despite finding the boy attractive with his stunning red hair and gorgeous features, her aunt sternly lectured her. Her aunt believed the boy was suitable for casual dating, but for a long-term commitment, she encouraged Uggams to consider marrying someone of her own race.

The actress paid no attention to what her aunt said, and at 22, news spread of her marrying an Australian man. Her spouse, Grahame Pratt, who was six years her senior, was once a clothing agent.

They married in New York's Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, following one of Uggam's tours to Australia, where they both realized they were in love.

It was also in Australia where they first met. Uggams performed at the Checkers Club in Sydney, where Pratt went backstage with a couple of friends to tell her how they enjoyed her performance. It didn't take long for them to connect, and they went on a date each night she was in Sydney.

Pratt knew that he and his wife would be the subject of public ridicule for their decision to get married. However, he paid no attention to what the public had to say, sharing:

"It wouldn't bother me if people raised their eyebrows and talked about us because I have married a Negro. Look at her. How could anyone feel bad about such a beautiful personality as Leslie?"

Despite love prevailing, they weren't strangers to hate mail in their marriage's first couple of years. They didn't experience it in New York and Los Angeles, the places they called home, but down south.

When they were to attend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral, someone knocked on their hotel room in Atlanta, asking if they were staying in the same room together. They also received a letter at home from Detroit, warning Pratt that he would have "polka-dot" children, with some racial slurs inserted throughout the letter.

[Uggams] holds "Roots'" in high regard, seeing its significance in the civil rights movement as one of the most important parts of her career.

While Uggams was the first to admit that receiving hate mail wasn't pleasant, it didn't frighten her or her husband. They continued to live a fruitful life together, with the actress having nothing but praise for him. "He's smart and witty and fearless," she once gushed.

Pratt became Uggams' longtime manager. Together, they share two children, Danielle and Justice, and a granddaughter named Cassidy, who also wants to be an actress like her grandmother.

Like Uggams, her daughter Danielle also entered an interracial relationship. While it is much more accepted in the present time, there are still days when they'd receive stares from the public.

Rather than dwelling on the judging stares, Uggams once told her daughter that they were staring at her because she was "beautiful."

On the Important Things in Life

Looking back at her career, Uggams can't help but feel a sense of fondness. She holds "Roots'" in high regard, seeing its significance in the civil rights movement as one of the most important parts of her career.

However, when asked about her proudest achievement, it isn't related to her career. Instead, she speaks of being a devoted wife to her "great husband," a loving mother to her two children, and a doting grandmother to Cassidy.

Uggams has no regrets about her career path. Even the not-so-great productions she was a part of were all part of her journey, and she learned something from each experience.

In fact, some of her less successful gigs led to some of the most important roles of her career. With that, Uggams is grateful for every role given to her.

When all is said and done, Uggams would like to be remembered as a woman who loved what she did and who did it with the people she loved. She and her husband have proved all their doubters wrong, showing that true love knows no bounds.