Loretta Devine

Devine was born in Houston, Texas. Her mother, Eunice O\'Neal (née Toliver), was a beautician, and her father, James Devine, worked as a laborer. She grew up in the Acres Homes area of Houston, where her mother was a single mother to six children. She was very active on the pep squad, and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School.\n', ' In 1971, Devine graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama. In 1976, she received a Master of Fine Arts in Theater from Brandeis University.\n', ' Devine was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha the Epsilon Lambda Chapter.\n', '