List of former African-American child actors

This is a list of former African-American child actors. These actors were aged 17 or less at the time they started acting but are currently 18 or over. The list also includes deceased child actors.

Movies and/or TV series they appeared in are mentioned only if they were still a child at the time of filming.

Name Born [Died] Years active (as child actors) & selected filmography
Adams, Brandon 1979 1986–2001 -- The Sandlot (1993) -- Moonwalker (1988)
Bagley, Ross 1988 1994–2004 -- The Little Rascals (1994)
Beard, Matthew "Stymie" 1925 [1981] 1929–1940 -- Our Gang (1930–35)
Berry, Ananias 1913 [1951] 1924–1927 -- The McDougall Kids
Berry, James 1915 [1969] 1924–1926 -- The McDougall Kids
Berry, Warren 1922 [1996] 1927 -- The McDougall Kids
Bledsoe, Tempestt 1973 1984–1988 -- The Cosby Show (1984–92)
Blunt, Erin 1963 1973–1979 -- The Bad News Bears (1976)
Boyce, Cameron 1999 [2019] 2008–2019 -- Jessie (2011–2015) -- Descendants series (2015–19)
Bridges, Todd 1965 1975–1980 -- Fish (1977–78) - Diff'rent Strokes (1978)
Brown, Orlando 1987 1995–2003 -- Family Matters (1996–98)
Cameron, Trent 1979 1989-1991 -- Homeroom (1989) -- The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990) -- You Take the Kids (1990–91)
Carter, Ralph 1961 1971-1976 -- Raisin (1973) -- Good Times (1974–79)
Coleman, Gary 1968 [2010] 1974–1983 -- Diff'rent Strokes (1978–86)
Davis Jr., Sammy 1925 [1990] 1933 -- Rufus Jones for President (1933)
Edwards, Ed 1925 ca. 1931–1932 -- Penrod (1931–32)
Fields, Kim 1969 1977-1984 -- Baby, I'm Back (1978) -- Diff'rent Strokes (1979–81) -- The Facts of Life (1979–88)
Fishburne, Laurence 1961 1972–1976 -- One Life to Live (1973–76)
Foxworth, Jaimee 1979 1986–1993 -- Family Matters (1989–93)
Golden II, Norman D. 1984 1992–1998 -- Cop and a Half (1993) -- Moby Dick (1998)
Holmes, Tony 1967 ca. 1977–78 -- Baby, I'm Back (1978)
Hooks, Kevin 1958 1969–1972 -- J.T. (1969) -- Sounder (1972)
Hoskins, Allen "Farina" 1920 [1980] 1922–1936 -- Our Gang (1922–31)
Hurlic, Philip 1927 [2014] 1932–1942 -- Penrod and Sam (1937) -- Zenobia (1939)
Jackson, Eugene 1916 [2001] 1923–1931 -- Penrod and Sam (1923) -- Our Gang (1924–25) -- Little Annie Rooney (1925) -- Hearts in Dixie (1929)
Jackson, Janet 1966 1977–81 -- Good Times (1977–79) -- Diff'rent Strokes (1980–84)
Jackson, Michael 1958 [2009] 1972
Jackson, Skai 2002 2007–2017 -- Jessie (2011–15)
Jeffries, Adam 1976 1988–1991 -- True Colors (1990–92)
Jordan, Michael B. 1987 1999–2002 - The Wire (2002)
Knight Pulliam, Keshia 1979 1984–1992 -- The Cosby Show (1984–92)
Leedy, Glenn 1935 [2004] 1942–1947 -- Jasper (1942-45) -- Song of the South (1946) -- The Burning Cross (1947)
Lewis, Emmanuel 1971 1982–1989 -- Webster (1983–89)
McClure, Bryton 1986 1990–2001 -- Family Matters (1990–97)
Morrison, Dorothy 1919 1923–29
Morrison, Ernest "Sunshine Sammy" 1912 [1989] 1917–1926 -- Our Gang (1922–24)
Paulk, Marcus T. 1986 1993–2001 -- Moesha (1996–2001)
Perry, Steven 1952 1958–1969 -- A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
Pratt, Kyla 1986 1993–2001 -- Dr. Dolittle (1998)
Preston, Billy 1946 [2006] 1958 -- St. Louis Blues (1958)
Raven-Symoné 1985 1989–2000 -- The Cosby Show (1989–92) - Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992–97)
Raycole, Jazz 1988 1995–2003 -- My Wife and Kids (2001–02)
Richmond, Deon 1978 1987–1993 -- The Cosby Show (1986–92)
Richmond, Tequan 1992 2003–2006 -- Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009)
Rivera, Naya 1987 [2020] 1991–2002 - The Royal Family (1991–92)
Robinson, Bumper 1974 1983–1992 -- Enemy Mine (1985) -- The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992)
Robinson, Jimmy 1918 [1967] 1927–1934 -- Mickey McGuire (1927–34) -- Penrod and Sam (1931)
Ross, Shavar 1971 1980–1986 -- Booker (1984)
Smith, Jaden 1998 2006–2013 -- The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) -- The Karate Kid (2010)
Smollett-Bell, Jurnee 1986 1991–2001 -- Full House (1992–94) -- Eve's Bayou (1997)
St. John, Kristoff 1966 [2019] 1975–1982 -- Roots: The Next Generations (1979)
Thomas, Billie "Buckwheat" 1931 [1980] 1934–1944 -- Our Gang (1934-44)
Thompson, Donald 1938 1948 -- The Quiet One (1948)
Van Peebles, Mario 1957 1968–1971 -- Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)
Warner, Malcolm-Jamal 1970 1982–85 -- The Cosby Show (1984–92)
Weaver, Jason 1979 1990–1994 -- The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992) -- Thea (1993–94) -- Summertime Switch (1994)
White, Jaleel 1976 1984–1991 -- Family Matters (1989–98)
Williams, Tyler James 1992 2000–2007 -- Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009)

See also

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