A white adoptive parent raised Tommy Davidson after he was left around the trash at only eighteen months.
She became a single mother to Davidson and her two other children after he was five years old.
Key Takeaways
- Tommy Davidson is an American actor and comedian.
- Davidson was raised by Barbara Davidson.
- He was 33 years old when he found out about his biological mother. His adoptive mother helped him track her biological mother.
Davidson’s life was shaped by a series of traumatic events before he even reached his second birthday.
At just 18 months old, he was abandoned by his biological parents in a dumpster. Fortunately, a white woman named Barbara Davidson found him and saved his life.
In Episode 605 of WTF with Marc Maron, Davidson shared how close he came to not surviving his early years, recounting the hardships he faced as a baby.
Barbara, who named him Thomas Davidson, raised him alongside her two biological children.
After divorcing her husband when Tommy was just five, she became a single mother, raising all three children on her own.
Though Tommy was Black by ethnicity, he grew up immersed in a predominantly white culture.
Barbara Davidson Was In Mississippi When She Found Tommy Davidson
When Barbara found Tommy Davidson near a trash can in Mississippi, she was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement.
According to The Washington Post, both Tommy and his biological mother were in a dire situation when Barbara discovered him.
The article further revealed that, like Barbara, Tommy’s birth mother had also been active in the movement.
It was also noted that the circumstances surrounding Tommy’s birth were complex and difficult.
During the height of the Civil Rights struggle, it was incredibly dangerous for a baby to be left exposed in the streets.
Barbara took Tommy into her care and, shortly afterward, received official custody.
It was also Barbara who first recognized Tommy’s passion for acting. She recalled,
“I would come home from work, and Tommy would be on the table with a spoon with foil wrapped around it and a string tied to it so he could flip it like a {microphone} cord. I always felt he had it in him.”
Via The Washington Post
Tommy Davidson’s Adoptive Mother Helped Him Track Down His Biological Mother
Davidson went 33 years without knowing anything about his biological mother.
Even Barbara, his adoptive mother, had no idea where she had been all those years.
However, determined to help Tommy find answers, she took it upon herself to track down his biological mother.
It was eventually revealed that her name was Tommie Gene.
Barbara’s breakthrough came while Tommy was on the set of Woo when she received the call confirming that she had located his mother.
Overwhelmed by the news, Tommy left the set that day to process the whirlwind of emotions.
He learned that his mother had struggled with substance abuse and had three other children before him.
The revelation was both joyful and emotionally triggering for Tommy.
After an intense conversation with his mother, he found it within himself to forgive her, understanding that she had been trapped in circumstances beyond her control.
Reflecting on the experience in his memoir Living in Color, he wrote:
“Because I realized that she didn’t abandon me on purpose. She had no control over what she was doing … What I learned was that a person can do the most awful thing imaginable — abandon her child — and still heal herself … Forgiveness can be powerful.”
Via Page Six
Likewise, except for the first three years of his life, Davidson mostly grew up without a father figure.
In a similar vein, except for the first three years of his life, Tommy grew up largely without a father figure.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Tommy Davidson’s birth name was Anthony Reed.
- He started performing as a stand-up comedian in 1984.
- Davidson is married to Amanda Moore.
