• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Clinical Trials
  • Resources
    • Top Blacks in Healthcare 2025
    • Hall Of Fame
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
    • Obesity Resource Center
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Wellness on the Yard
    • Immunocompromised Care
    • BDO Resource Library
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Lifestyle / Celebrity Health / LaRoyce Hawkins: A Voice for the Culture

LaRoyce Hawkins: A Voice for the Culture

(Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)

It seems like cop shows are a dime a dozen nowadays. You have NYPD this, Code Blue that, Swat, etc, but NBC’s “Chicago P.D.” beats to a different drum. That's mainly because of its cast. It's cast like Chicago: a little bit of hip-hop, a little thug and rachet, but all heart.

One of the standouts in the cast is Officer Kevin Atwater, played by LaRoyce Hawkins. Even though he's a cop, Atwater lives in a predominantly African-American neighborhood suburb where gun violence is real. It's because of that, he can flip the script, talk a good game while still standing up for what's right.

(Photo credit: Instagram)

You May Also Like
Clinical Trials Need A Diverse Representation Of Participants Like You To Help Advance Research! Clinical Trials Need A Diverse Representation Of Participants Like You To Help Advance Research!

“I’m grateful to be that voice to speak for both cultures,” Hawkins told the Chicago Tribune, “the black culture and the cop culture.”

So who is LaRoyce Hawkins? This handsome star was born and raised in Harvey, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago. While Hawkins was growing up he lived with his grandparents until he was 13 and he credits them with shaping his life and the lives of his siblings.

You May Also Like
Psoriatic Arthritis Can Feel Beyond Your Control. Consider a Different Direction. Learn More Here. Psoriatic Arthritis Can Feel Beyond Your Control. Consider a Different Direction. Learn More Here.

Hawkins attended Thornton High School, where he was recruited to play basketball. His grandfather’s advice of “choose what makes you feel better,” stuck with him, so Hawkins left the basketball team sophomore year when it felt right and joined the speech team. It was there where he caught a glimpse of his calling and became a two-time state champion in comedy speech writing and received awards twice from the Illinois High Speech Association: for “original comedy” in his junior year and for “humorous acting duet” in his senior year.

“When they told me the character could be from Harvey? That was the most valuable gift they could give me as an actor because then I knew exactly who he was. I’m from Harvey myself. I grew up with...

...guys like him. I pull references for this character from Harvey, Illinois — which in my humble opinion is one of the greatest microcosms of Chicago. There’s good, there’s bad, there’s ugly. But it’s where I’m from. Harvey raised me. And it’s what breathes life into this character.”

As a theater major at Illinois State University, he realized something else about himself: “I discovered that I was a soft narcoleptic."

Huh? What? LOL

If you leave me alone long enough with my eyes closed in a dark space, it just kind of happens, whether I’m supposed to be asleep or not. I just kind of knock out. My colleagues now at ‘Chicago P.D.,’ we’ll go to the movies and they’ll just know for a fact that I’m going to be asleep by the middle of it.”

(Photo credit: Instagram)

So what's next for LaRoyce? Well, he's a standup comic, a spoken word artist, and a musician.

"As a vocalist, musical ranger, things like that, the harmonica is probably the only instrument I play," explains Hawkins to TheKnockturnal. Me and my little brother make music, we’ve got EPs and things like that we are going to be dropping. I think that’s where the word musician comes from, but between me and you, 'musician' was never a title that I gave myself. But I do music and like I said, I’ve been working on the harmonica for a few years, but with my musical experience, I guess it just kind of stuck...I consider myself more of a vibe warrior than anything, which just means I got a bunch of different gifts that I can tap into and I just intend to motivate and inspire as often as I can."

Keep working in your gift young brother. We appreciate you.

By Christian Carter | Published May 18, 2020

The Latest In Celebrity Health

Deion Sanders Fears More Blood Clots, In Pain and “Hurting Like Crazy!”

Deion "Coach Prime Time" Sanders said he was “hurting like crazy” after Colorado’s loss Saturday night at TCU and believes he has more blood clots in his leg. “Cat’s out of the bag, all right. I think I’ve got more read more about Deion Sanders Fears More Blood Clots, In Pain and “Hurting Like Crazy!”

‘This Isn’t a Solo Fight’: Prostate Cancer Survivor Montell Jordan & Wife Open Up on 2nd Treatment Start, Film and Faith

Just days away from starting proton therapy treatment, Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Montell Jordan and wife, Kristin, open up about facing the unimaginable: the recent return of Montell's prostate cancer. They sat down with BlackDoctor.org to wrap up Prostate Cancer read more about ‘This Isn’t a Solo Fight’: Prostate Cancer Survivor Montell Jordan & Wife Open Up on 2nd Treatment Start, Film and Faith
Twin Docs Dr. I and Dr. J Fox TV. Two doctors with stethoscopes posing.

‘Twin Docs’ Show Premiere: Real Talk, No Co-Pay

Mark your calendars and tune in tonight! Sept. 15 marks the premiere of Second Opinion with the Twin Docs, a brand-new FOX show hosted by Chicago-based twin OB-GYNs Dr. J and Dr. I. With a mission to bust health myths read more about ‘Twin Docs’ Show Premiere: Real Talk, No Co-Pay

Montell Jordan Says His Cancer Has Returned After Surgery

Nearly a year after Montell Jordan was diagnosed with Stage 1 prostate cancer and underwent a prostatectomy as treatment, the "This Is How We Do It" singer has revealed that follow-up scans detected cancer has returned and is in his read more about Montell Jordan Says His Cancer Has Returned After Surgery

Tamar Braxton Reveals She ‘Almost Died’ in an Accident

Singer, actor and reality TV star Tamar Braxton said Tuesday that she 'almost died' in a weekend accident that she doesn’t remember. “I was found in a pool of blood from my friend with a face injury,” Braxton wrote in read more about Tamar Braxton Reveals She ‘Almost Died’ in an Accident

Anthony Anderson Rushed to ER for ‘King’s Disease’

Actor, host, and funnyman Anthony Anderson is opening up about a scary ordeal that landed him in the ER. The black-ish star explained on Instagram, “Sunday morning out of the blue I woke up to a swollen knee. I ended read more about Anthony Anderson Rushed to ER for ‘King’s Disease’

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Icon

A Black Women's Guide To Beating Breast Cancer

1 file(s) 967 KB
Download

Trending Articles

ADHD: Treating Your Child Without Medication

ADHD treatment

How to Remove Mucus from Lungs Naturally: 5 Effective Ways to Breathe Easier

how to get rid of mucus

Eczema: How To Treat Winter Flare Ups

flare ups

From Symptoms To Solutions: What To Expect During Your First Year Of Menopause

first year of menopause

Multiple Myeloma: How it’s Damaging Your Bones and What You Can Do

multiple myeloma
Find a Culturally Sensitive Doctor

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Resource Centers

  • Top Blacks in Healthcare
  • Clinical Trials
  • Wellness on the Yard
  • Cancer
  • Immunocompromised Care
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Careers
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising & Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2025, Black Doctor, Inc. All rights reserved.