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Happy Birthday, Cree Summer! Today (July 7), marks the birthday of one of the most legendary voices in the game. From dropping gems as the free-spirited Freddie on A Different World to voicing some of the most iconic animated Black girls on TV, Cree has been shaping culture, one character at a time. Check out our favorite Cree roles inside.

Let’s talk resume: Cree isn’t just a voice actor. She’s the voice actor. The blueprint. She brought depth, soul, and unapologetic Black girl energy to characters we still quote and cosplay to this day.

Back in the ’90s, she stole our hearts as Freddie Brooks, the boho, brilliant and beautifully awkward law student on A Different World. Freddie was ahead of her time, speaking about racial justice, feminism, spirituality. Cree gave her a vibe nobody else could.

It’s animation where Cree truly became a cultural juggernaut. She gave us Susie Carmichael on Rugrats—the fearless, affirming toddler who ALWAYS checked Angelica. Susie was smart, sweet, and one of the few Black characters holding it down in a sea of white baby chaos.

Then came Numbuh 5 on Codename: Kids Next Door, who was the candy-loving, unbothered, smooth-talking squad leader we all secretly wanted to be. Cree’s chill delivery gave Numbuh 5 a level of cool that still lives rent-free in our heads.

Don’t forget her early work as Penny in Inspector Gadget or when she really showed out as Princess Kida in Atlantis: The Lost Empire. From Tiny Toon Adventures to Danny Phantom, Cree’s catalog is deeper than your favorite rapper’s discography.

Cree didn’t just voice characters, but she gave fans representation. She made sure Black girls saw themselves in magical, funny, brilliant ways that weren’t happening enough in animation. She’s the reason we saw ourselves as heroes, queens, and rebels with a cause.

Today, we’re giving Cree her flowers. Whether she’s portraying our favorite cartoon characters or just popping up across our timelines with her unforgettable energy, she’s been holding it down for decades.

Happy Birthday, Cree! Thank you for raising generations of unapologetic, animated, magical Black girls. You’re forever the voice of a movement.

Check out our favorite Cree Summer roles below:

Happy Birthday Cree Summer: Celebrating The Iconic Voice Behind Our Favorite Characters  was originally published on globalgrind.com