Private Benjamin (TV series) from Benjamin and her friends' attempts to evade the watchful eye of their sergeant. Although some of the actors from the film play the same characters on the TV show, (notably Eileen Brennan and Hal Williams, in their roles of Captain Doreen Lewis and Sgt. L.C. Ross respectively) the title role is acted by Lorna Patterson instead of Goldie Hawn. While the series was initially shot on film and featured many outdoor scenes, later episodes were more like a standard sitcom, shot on video on soundstages and complete with a laugh track. In the fall of 1982, Robert Mandan joined
Benjamin S. Ruffin Jr. because of its substantial African-American community. The struggle for civil rights experienced by blacks was greatly impacted by racial injustice and poverty. Ruffin’s experience growing up in Durham draws upon both issues, influencing his motivation to become a civil rights activist. Benjamin S. “Ben” Ruffin Jr. was born in Durham, North Carolina, on December 11, 1941, to Benjamin S. Ruffin, Sr. and Catherine Ruffin. Growing up, he lived in a section of Durham called the West End, one of the several black communities in the city. West End was a “tight knit community” that shared a family-like bond. When Ruffin