Over the past two decades, Ava DuVernay has emerged one of Hollywood’s most prominent directors, earning recognition for work spanning independent cinema and major studio productions. Her projects have also placed Black life and American history before audiences on some of the industry’s largest platforms.

Born and raised in California, DuVernay studied English literature and African-American studies at UCLA. Her route into filmmaking was unconventional, but once she began directing, her rise came quickly. Early independent projects established her as a filmmaker to watch before Selma brought her work to a much larger audience in 2014.

DuVernay continued to expand her reach with 13th, A Wrinkle in Time, When They See Us and Origin. Her work has earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, along with Emmy and NAACP Image Award wins. In 2017, TIME included her among its 100 most influential people in the world.

Through her production company ARRAY—the organization she founded in 2011—DuVernay has helped increase exposure for films made by women and people of color. Her television work has similarly provided opportunities behind the camera, most notably through Queen Sugar, where women directed every episode during its seven-season run.

Later this year, Ava will return with 14th, a new documentary examining the Fourteenth Amendment. The project comes 10 years after 13th and continues her interest in using film to examine questions surrounding race and American democracy.

In celebration of Ava DuVernay’s 54th birthday, here are six things to know about her life and career.

DuVernay’s First Interest Was Journalism

Before becoming a filmmaker, DuVernay considered a career in journalism. While interning at CBS News, she helped cover the O.J. Simpson murder trial, but the experience ultimately led her in another direction. She entered entertainment publicity and worked for several companies before launching her own firm, The DuVernay Agency, in 1999. She would not begin making films until her early 30s.

She Made Golden Globes History With Selma

Selma earned DuVernay a historic distinction in 2014, when she became the first Black woman nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Director. Her film chronicled the 1965 voting rights campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the activists who marched from Selma to Montgomery. The acclaimed drama also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

Ava Has Directed Music Videos, Too

DuVernay brought her filmmaking eye to JAY-Z’s “Family Feud” video in 2017. Featuring JAY-Z and Beyoncé, the production imagines America generations into the future before traveling through different periods in the country’s history. DuVernay assembled an extensive cast for the project, including Michael B. Jordan, Niecy Nash, Storm Reid, David Oyelowo, Thandiwe Newton, Susan Kelechi Watson, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Omari Hardwick, and Blue Ivy Carter, among others.

Ava Has Long Been Connected To The ESSENCE Legacy

DuVernay’s history with ESSENCE dates back to 2010, when she directed TV One Night Only: Live from the Essence Music Festival. The two-hour special paired performances from the New Orleans festival with footage filmed behind the scenes. Later that year, she directed Essence Presents: Faith Through the Storm, a documentary following two Black sisters rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Katrina and examining the role faith played in their recovery.

Ava Helped Spark Salli Richardson-Whitfield’s Directing Career

While filming I Will Follow, DuVernay noticed something in star Salli Richardson-Whitfield before Richardson-Whitfield recognized it herself: she thought like a director. DuVernay encouraged her to pursue the craft and later provided resources to help her learn. Richardson-Whitfield took the advice, eventually building a directing résumé that includes Queen Sugar, Luke Cage, The Gilded Age and Paradise. She also earned an Emmy nomination for directing HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

Ava Is Releasing Her Fifth Documentary, 14th, Later This Year

A decade after 13th, DuVernay will return to documentary filmmaking with 14th, an examination of the Fourteenth Amendment and the ongoing disputes surrounding its meaning. The film will look at the amendment’s history following the Civil War and its connection to questions of American citizenship today. 14th will premiere at the New York Film Festival before opening in select theaters November 27. Netflix will release the documentary globally on December 4.