Brenda Whitfield

Off the Court

Oakland alumni, as Brenda Whitfield tells it on the shows. Each story was checked against its source.

• Karen Batchelorfirst Black member of the DAR

  Karen Batchelor got her psychology degree at Oakland, sugar, and in 1977 she became the first known Black member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Two years later she co-founded a society to preserve African-American family history. She did the homework.

  Source
• Regina Carterjazz violinist, MacArthur fellow

  Regina Carter was a jazz major here, class of 1985. In 2001 she played a concert in Genoa on Paganini's own violin, built in 1743, and in 2006 she won a MacArthur genius grant. Our girl.

  Source
• Jayne HoudyshellTony-winning Broadway actress

  Jayne Houdyshell went from Oakland to Broadway and won herself a Tony Award. Rochester, Michigan to the bright lights, honey. Grizzlies travel well.

  Source
• David Hasselhoffactor

  David Hasselhoff attended Oakland. Attended, sugar, I did not say graduated. But he sat in our chairs, so we're keeping him.

  Source