Danitra Vance, born on July 13, 1954, in Chicago, Illinois, was an American comedian and actress who made history as the first Black woman to be a regular cast member on "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) during its eleventh season in 1985. Raised on Chicago's South Side, she was surrounded by storytelling and developed her comedic skills early on.

She attended Thornton Township High School and later studied at Roosevelt University, where she graduated with honors. She then moved to London to study at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, earning a Master of Fine Arts in acting.

Danitra Vance began her career performing with The Second City improv group in Chicago before moving to New York City in 1981. She faced direct discrimination in the industry but continued to pursue her passion for comedy. In 1984, she performed her one-woman show "Danitra Vance and the Mell-o White Boys" at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, which received critical acclaim for its sharp humor and social commentary.

Her work often addressed themes of stereotyping and social issues, creating an unsettling tension between stereotypes and reality.

On SNL, she created memorable characters and impressions, although she struggled with being typecast in roles such as maids and hookers.

Danitra Vance was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990 and underwent a single mastectomy, incorporating her experience into a solo skit titled "The Radical Girl's Guide to Radical Mastectomy." The cancer recurred in 1993, and she passed away on August 21, 1994, at the age of 40.