Afemo has not made any public reference to his paternal background, however his name has ties to the Yoruba community in Nigeria.
He has appeared in many films such as Trading Places (1983), Glory (1989), The Firm (1993), Gordy (1995), Remember the Titans (2000), Ray (2004), Hounddog (2007), The Blind Side (2009), and Terminator Genisys (2015).
He had a recurring role as the streetwise Jimmy Dawes in In the Heat of the Night from 1989 to 1993.
He was nominated for a 2013 NAACP Image Award in the category "Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special" for his performance in Lifetime's Steel Magnolias as Drum Eatenton.
[2] He also appeared in guest roles in television series Miami Vice, Fortune Hunter, New York News, The Shield, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and Raising Dion.