An American producer, writer, director, and actress, born on November 7, 1964, in New York to an African American mother and a white father. She spent the first part of her artistic life working in the entertainment industry. She began her acting career with a role on the children's show Sesame Street when she was four years old. She studied acting and psychobiology at the City University of New York and went on to earn a master's degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute in eco, liberation, and community psychology. She holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from California Southern University with certification in Industrial Organizational Psychology. She is also a published bestselling author. She is known for B*A*P*S (1997), The Five Heartbeats (1991), and Dynasty (1986-1987).