Danielle Brittany Brooks (born September 17, 1989) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson on the comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019) and Leota Adebayo on the superhero series Peacemaker (2022–present). She received a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of Sofia in the 2015 Broadway production of The Color Purple, and won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the film's accompanying album.

In 2021, Brooks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Television Movie as an executive producer on Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia.

Early life and education :

Brooks was born in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up in South Carolina, in a Christian family; her father was a deacon, and her mother, a minister. She began acting at the age of six in a nativity play put on by her church. For her final two years of high school, she attended South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities, a selective arts high school. She studied drama at the Juilliard School and graduated in 2011.