Early Life
Lathan was born in New York City and attended Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics. Her first name means "brilliance" in Swahili and "work of art" in Arabic. She is of African American descent. Her mother, Eleanor McCoy, was an actress and dancer who performed on Broadway with Eartha Kitt. Her father, Stan Lathan, worked behind the scenes in television for PBS, as well as a producer on shows such as Sanford & Son and Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam. Her brother is Tendaji Lathan (a DJ).
She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in English. Lathan also graduated at Yale University with a degree in Drama.
Read more about this topic: Sanaa Lathan
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