After donating a huge gift to their alma mater, it’s clear Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, and his wife, Dr. Rainbow Barris live by the motto, “To whom much has been given, much shall be required.”
On Monday, the Barris family donated $1 million to Clark Atlanta University to kick off the institution’s year-long 30th anniversary celebration. The generous gift has been named the Kenya and Rainbow Barris Annual Scholarship Award, and will be split between students studying mass media arts and biology.
Clark Atlanta University President Dr. Ronald A. Johnson praised the couple for using their powerful voice to support their “beloved institution.”
“Mr. Barris has lifted his powerful voice in the entertainment industry to explore issues of classism and racism in creative and humorous ways,” Johnson said. “In giving back to their alma mater, he has again used his powerful voice to articulate the importance of supporting this beloved institution that is giving our students the skills and confidence to find and lift their own voices in the field of their choice.”
Kenya and Rainbow Barris both graduated from CAU in 1996 with degrees in mass media arts and biology respectively.
Since leaving Clark Atlanta, Kenya Barris has gone on to be a successful writer and producer, with a string of hits, including ABC’s Black-ish, Freeform’s Grown-ish, and last year’s breakout film, Girls Trip. Dr. Rainbow Barris is a board-certified anesthesiologist and mother of six who just released the book, Keeping Up With the Johnsons: Bow’s Guide to Black-ish Parenting.