“I was fortunate enough to go to a school where my fifth-grade teachers really put a spotlight on artists, and specifically Black artists, so I learned about Henry Ossawa Tanner at a very young age. I loved going to the art museum with my class.”

American actress, comedian, writer, and producer, born 1989

Quinta Brunson is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer, known for creating and starring in the ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary. Born in 1989, she built a wide audience through digital comedy before moving into television. She first drew attention in 2014 with her self-produced Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date. After that, she worked on videos for BuzzFeed Video and developed two streaming series with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures. On Abbott Elementary, she serves as creator, executive producer, and co-writer, and plays second-grade teacher Janine Teagues.