Rhode Island's Woman of the Year

Rhode Island's Woman of the Year

Viola Davis is one of the top women in her field in the world, and yet even with fame and global acclaim, she has never forgotten where she came from.

She has gone beyond living the American Dream; the girl from Central Falls has become a symbol for philanthropy and positive change.

Time's 100 Most Influencial

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In 2012, Time Magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world and fashion magazine Glamour tagged her as the actress of the year, but GoLocalProv celebrates Davis for her incredible and consistent effort to bring hope and revitalize her community of Central Falls and to support education.

When Central Falls seemed to be at its lowest ebb, Davis stepped forward with donations, appearances and helped to bring the involvement and donations of other high profile Hollywood stars such as Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin.

Commitment to Community

Davis’ efforts went well beyond Central Falls. She headlined Trinity Rep’s Pell Awards in 2012, helping the theater raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, and she joined with Rhode Island College’s President Nancy Carriuolo to lead an effort to pass a $50 million bond to improve the college.

The two-time Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee seems to have married the concepts of “paying it forward” and “never forget where you came from” and created a masterful concoction of generosity: a model for us all.

For these reasons, Viola Davis is GoLocalProv’s selection as Rhode Island's Woman of the Year.