Khandi Alexander (born September 4, 1957) is an American dancer, choreographer, and actress. She is best known for the roles of Dr. Alexx Woods in the CBS police procedural series CSI: Miami, as LaDonna Batiste-Williams in HBO drama Treme, and as Catherine Duke in NBC sitcom NewsRadio. She also had a major recurring roles in NBC medical drama ER as Jackie Robbins, sister to Dr. Peter Benton, and as Maya Lewis, Olivia Pope's mother in ABC drama Scandal.