Kenya Barris

“Of all the 'Black-ish' characters, Zoey is most like my daughter, who goes to U.S.C.”

“There has never been a prosecuted case of slavery. There's no criminality to it. So, it was just like, 'It's over,' and thus, because it was over, and it was never considered 'wrong' in the prosecutable, criminal sense of the word, the country doesn't take it as wrong.”

“And I feel like, as a black man within black culture, I know very well firsthand - as do my parents and my grandparents and great-grandparents - we're used to things not going our way.”

“When you walk past a painting in a museum, if it doesn't make you feel something, then it's probably a failure.”

“I want to make sure I don't leave any money for my kids, so I'm going to spend it all on clothes.”

“I love Meryl Streep.”

“'A Different World,' for me, was in a lot of ways responsible for me going to college. I wanted to go to a black college, and I wanted to get out of Los Angeles. It's just a natural part of all of our journeys, that idea of leaving home.”

“I'm a huge fan of writing for people rather than writing and then trying to wedge people in. I'd love to know who the people are before I can write for them. For me, it's a much more organic way to create characters.”

“To me, the Peabody was as big if not bigger than any award, but I do understand an Emmy Award-winning show has a different buzz when it comes to start talking about renewals and things like that. There's a professional something to it that matters.”

“If Adam Sandler does a bad movie, he doesn't bring down the whole white race. But if Tyler Perry does, it's like, 'See what you guys do?' and that type of thing.”

“You get a little older, and you start understanding the world in a different way and what you don't have control over and what you do have control over.”

“At my core, I'm shy.”

“I've found that the more honest and true you are and can talk about a character and people's experiences, it's less ostracizing. It actually has the opposite effect than one would think. It makes the characters and the story more inclusive.”

“When I was growing up, I never saw couples fight on the family sitcoms I loved to watch. Subsequently, when tough times arose in my own relationship, I wasn't prepared and felt so isolated and alone. Marital issues weren't a part of the narrative that television told me was a 'working relationship.'”

“Most importantly, I want my kids to be happy. You're only as happy as your saddest kid.”

“I have a 'hope for the best, expect the worst' mentality.”

“I feel like money is an interesting thing when you don't come from it.”

“The acknowledgement and celebration of Juneteenth as an American and possibly international holiday is something that I would put in the life goals column for me.”

“You can have good times with anyone, but it's really different and much more interesting when you look at how you get through the bad times with someone.”

“Jill Soloway is a friend of mine. She does 'Transparent,' and she's amazingly funny and brilliant and bright. And I love her show.”