Kenya Barris

Kenya Barris Headshot

Writer • Producer • Director

Birth Date: August 9, 1974

Age: 49 years old

Birth Place: Inglewood, California

Writer, producer, and showrunner Kenya Barris is best known for creating the groundbreaking sitcom "Black-ish" (ABC, 2014-). Born in Inglewood, California in 1974, Barris' family eventually relocated to a less impoverished neighborhood, when Barris' mother earned her real estate license and his father was given a settlement for having been badly injured on the job. Barris would eventually attend Clark Atlanta University, and began a career in the entertainment industry in 1997 with a job writing for "The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show" (syndicated, 1997-1998). He would go on to write for other series such as the sitcom "Like Family" (WB, 2003-2004) and for the reality series produced by his childhood friend Tyra Banks, "America's Next Top Model" (CW, 2003-). Then in 2014, Barris brought "Black-ish" to the screen. The show depicted an African American family dealing with issues of modern culture and race, and was roundly praised by critics and audiences for its smart, funny, and realistic portrayals of important issues that often went ignored by scripted TV. The series dealt directly with issues like police brutality, and Barris spoke openly about the way his experiences as a father informed the series. As "Black-ish" continued to flourish on television, he spent the show's breaks working on other projects, such as writing and producing "Barbershop: The Next Cut" (2016).

Credits

Diarra From DetroitStream

Executive Producer
Series
2024

The Vince Staples ShowStream

Executive Producer
Series
2024
94%

The UnderdoggsStream

Producer
Movie
2024
41%

You PeopleStream

Director
Movie
2023
40%

You PeopleStream

Producer
Movie
2023
40%

You PeopleStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2023
40%

White Men Can't JumpStream

Producer
Movie
2023
26%

White Men Can't JumpStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2023
26%

White Men Can't JumpStream

Writer
Movie
2023
26%

EntergalacticStream

Creator
Series
2022
97%

EntergalacticStream

Executive Producer
Series
2022
97%

The Jennifer Hudson Show

Guest
Talk
2022

black-ish: A Celebration -- An ABC News Special

Self
Show
2022

Cheaper by the DozenStream

Producer
Movie
2022
36%

Cheaper by the DozenStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2022
36%

Cheaper by the DozenStream

Writer
Movie
2022
36%

Civil: Ben CrumpStream

Producer
Movie
2022
88%

Klutch Academy

Executive Producer
Show
2021

We the PeopleStream

Executive Producer
Series
2021

Coming 2 AmericaStream

Executive Producer
Movie
2021
49%

Coming 2 AmericaStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2021
49%

Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad AliStream

Producer
Movie
2021
94%

#blackAFStream

Actor
Kenya Barris
Series
2020
46%

#blackAFStream

Executive Producer
Series
2020
46%

Roald Dahl's The WitchesStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2020
49%

Astronomy Club: The Sketch Show

Executive Producer
Show
2019

mixed-ishStream

Creator
Series
2019
76%

mixed-ishStream

Executive Producer
Series
2019
76%

mixed-ishStream

Writer
Series
2019
76%

Still Laugh-In: The Stars CelebrateStream

Actor
Special
2019

ShaftStream

Executive Producer
Movie
2019
34%

ShaftStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2019
34%

Little

Producer
Movie
2019

Grown-ishStream

Creator
Series
2018

Grown-ishStream

Executive Producer
Series
2018

The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors

Guest
Show
2017

Problematic With Moshe Kasher

Guest
Show
2017

The Talk -- Race in America

Actor
Show
2017

The History of ComedyStream

Self
Docuseries
2017

Girls TripStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2017
92%

Desus & MeroStream

Guest
Talk
2016

Barbershop: The Next CutStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2016
90%

The Daily Show with Trevor NoahStream

Guest
Talk
2015

Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter

Guest
Show
2015

Black-ishStream

Creator
Series
2014
92%

Black-ishStream

Director
Series
2014
92%

Black-ishStream

Executive Producer
Series
2014
92%

Black-ishStream

Writer
Series
2014
92%

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

Guest
Talk
2014

The Talk

Guest
Talk
2010

Are We There Yet?

Writer
Show
2010

The GameStream

Writer
Series
2006

Our World With Black Enterprise

Guest
Show
2006

etalk

Guest
Show
2006

Listen Up

Writer
Series
2004
9%

Tavis Smiley

Guest
Talk
2004

Like Family

Writer
Show
2003

GirlfriendsStream

Writer
Series
2000

Soul Food

Writer
Series
2000

News aboutKenya Barris

Grown-ish - Yara Shahidi, Marcus Scribner - 'This Is What You Came For' - Season 5

Yara Shahidi Announces ‘Grown-ish’ Will End With Season 6 (VIDEO)

Sam Jay as Mo, Director-Writer-Producer Kenya Barris and Jonah Hill as Ezra on the set of You People

Kenya Barris’ ‘You People’ Controversy Explained — Did You Like the Netflix Film? (POLL)

Vince Staples and Kenya Barris

Netflix Orders ‘The Vince Staples Show’ From ‘Black-ish’ Creator Kenya Barris

Blackish cast
Preview

Going Out in Style: ‘Black-ish’ Team Shares Their Favorite Behind-the-Scenes Stories

Cheaper by the Dozen Gabrielle Union and Zach Braff

‘Cheaper by the Dozen’: The Bakers Are Back in First Look at Disney+ Reboot (VIDEO)

Black-ish-Season 7 - Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson

‘Black-ish’ Renewed for 8th and Final Season at ABC

Black-ish - Jenifer Lewis and Laurence Fishburne

‘Black-ish’ Spinoff With Laurence Fishburne & Jenifer Lewis in the Works

Black-ish Anthony Anderson Dre

Previously Unaired ‘Black-ish’ Episode Begins Streaming on Hulu

Black-ish

‘black-ish’ to Re-Air ‘Hope’ & ‘Juneteenth’ Episodes for Blackout Tuesday

Best TV Quotes Too Hot to Handle Superstore Better Call Saul

Best Lines of the Week (April 17-23): ‘The Gay Guy Gets to Have His Prince Charming, Too’

#blackAF - Rashida Jones and Kenya Barris

Kenya Barris Is a Family Man on Edge in ‘#blackAF’s Star-Studded Trailer (VIDEO)

Black excellence

‘#BlackExcellence’: Netflix Rounds Out Cast of Kenya Barris & Rashida Jones Series

kenya barris rashida jones

Kenya Barris Announces His First Netflix Series: ‘Black Excellence’

Mary J. Blige attends the 2018 Essence Festival

TV News Roundup: Mary J. Blige on ‘Scream’, ‘SNL’ Cast Exit, Kenya Barris’ Netflix Deal & More

Roseanne Barr and Laurie Metcalf

Which ABC Showrunner Threatened Protest Over Roseanne Barr’s Tweet?

Black-ish - Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross - 'Being Bow-racial'

‘black-ish’: Rainbow Being Biracial Isn’t (Always) a Laughing Matter

16-48-2010

How ‘Mom’, ‘black-ish’, ‘Speechless’ and Other Sitcoms Get Serious