Kenya Barris


Kenya Barris is an American television writer, actor, and producer.

Early life and education

Barris was born in Inglewood, California, and is an alumnus of Clark Atlanta University.

Career

Barris has created numerous television shows, including the critically acclaimed Black-ish. The award-winning series also has two spin-offs, Grown-ish and Mixed-ish. He was a writer for The Game and Soul Food. Barris co-created and produced America's Next Top Model with Tyra Banks. He penned the film Girls Trip. He co-produced the 2019 film Little and co-wrote the screenplay for the 2019 theatrical release, Shaft.
In 2020, Barris made his acting debut in a series developed by himself and ordered by Netflix. Titled #BlackAF, it co-stars Rashida Jones and Iman Benson.

Filmography

Films

Television series

Awards

In 2019, Black-ish won several NAACP Image Awards. It was named best comedy series and Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson took acting honors. Black-ish was the winner of the Entertainment and Children's Peabody Award in 2016. Barris and Black-ish also won the 2017 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
Barris was nominated for the same award in 2018. He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2016, a Gold Derby Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television Comedy in 2016, and a PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy Black-ish in 2014. In 2016, Barris won the Rod Serling Award for Advancing Social Justice Through Popular Media.
In 2018, he donated $1 million to Clark Atlanta University, and was granted an honorary doctorate in humane letters.

Personal life

He is married to Rania "Rainbow" Barris, an anesthesiologist and the inspiration behind Tracee Ellis Ross' character on Black-ish, On August 9, 2019, he filed for divorce. On May 15, 2020, he filed a request for dismissal of his divorce and is awaiting the petition to be thrown out by the judge.
They have six children.