Dr. Danielle Spencer-David, Richmond Veterinarian and Star of What's Happening!! Dies; Black College Invitational 🏀 Announces 2026 Move to Virginia State University
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Dr. Danielle Spencer-David, a Richmond Veterinarian and Star of What's Happening!!, Dies at 60
Dr. Danielle Spencer-David, who starred as Dee Thomas in the popular 1970s sitcom What’s Happening!!, died in Richmond yesterday after a years long battle with breast cancer.
After finding fame alongside fellow actors Mabel King (as Mabel Thomas) and Ernest Lee Thomas (as Roger Thomas) as the busybody little sister of her brother Roger, Spencer-David became moved on from Hollywood sitcom fame to become a veterinarian and resident of Richmond, Virginia. Though Danielle Spencer was born in New Jersey and her family later moved to the Bronx, she made here way to Virginia. Spencer became a veterinarian in 1996 after earning a degree at Tuskegee University Veterinary School.
What’s happening!! ran on ABC from 1976 until 1979 and was a hit that remains well remembered and watched in reruns. There was also a revival of the show from 1985 to 1988 that Spencer starred in. After an earlier divorce, she married businessman David L. David in 2014. She also moved to Richmond that year and hosted segments on pet care on occasion on WTVR.
An Instagram post from What’s Happening!! costar Haywood Nelson (who played Dwayne Nelson), read: Brilliance! It comes in a great many forms. We all have them, and we all have this family — Dr. Danielle Spencer (June 24, 1965 – August 11, 2025).
In 2014, Spencer became the only former child actor to be honored in a permanent exhibition at Blacksonian (aka: National Museum of African American History and Culture). In late Sept. 2014 she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Dr. Danielle Spencer-David was a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Black College Invitational Championship (BCIC)🏀 Announces 2026 Move to Virginia State University
The Black College Invitational Championship (BCIC), has announced that it is relocated to Virginia State University (VSU) in 2026. The championship tournament is scheduled for March 25–29, 2026. The move will mark “a bold new chapter in BCIC’s mission to elevate Black college excellence—on the court, in the classroom, and throughout our communities,” according to an August 11 press release from Dr. Wes Bellamy, the Founder and Executive Director of the Black College Invitational Championship.
“Bringing this tournament to an HBCU campus—especially one as storied and respected as Virginia State University—represents a full-circle moment in our journey. This move allows us to deepen our impact, reconnect directly with students and alumni, and build a more intentional space for culture, competition, and community,” Dr. Bellamy said in a statement.
The tournament will take place at the Multipurpose Center at Virginia State University. BCIC will feature men’s and women’s HBCU basketball teams, and the BCIC National Step Championship and Education Day and a Black Vendor Expo.
BCIC is also “amplifying regional access for alumni and fans across the Mid-Atlantic.”
“The Trojans are proud to serve as the new host site for the BCIC,” said Virginia State University President Makola Abdullah, President.
“This is more than basketball—it’s a celebration of who we are,” he added.
The BCIC is also excited to continue their long standing partnership with Industry Leader, Van Wagner and HBCU Go. It is with great pleasure that Van Wagner will once again represent the BCIC as the multimedia rights holder and manage all of the BCIC’s sponsorship sales.
🏀 Tickets, sponsorship opportunities, and event details will be released in phases beginning August 4, 2025. For updates, visit www.blackcollegeinvitationalchampionship.org. For general inquiries, please contact info@blackcollegeinvitationalchampionship.org
🏀 Contact info: Dr. Wes Bellamy | Commissioner, Email: Media@BlackCollegeInvitationalChampionship.org, Phone: 434-327-7873
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