Karyn Parsons is probably best known for playing Hilary on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Her character was, and is, truly beloved by fans around the U.S. and beyond. What her fans didn't know until 2005 was that Parsons was also a writer who spent quite a bit of time writing short fiction, and learning about history - particularly inspiring and empowering stories of African American achievement.

Once she set acting aside in the early 2000s, and had her first child, Parsons decided it was time to take her passion for writing and history seriously and so founded a nonprofit called Sweet Blackberry. They would turn her stories about little-known African American figures, ones that she thought would pique the imaginations of young people, into short films and picture-books. The animated films feature narration from voices like Alfre Woodard, Queen Latifah, Chris Rock, and Laurence Fishburne.

In 2019, Karyn Parsons published her first young adult novel called "How High the Moon" and has another one coming out this Summer. “How High the Moon” was inspired by her mother's childhood stories of being a young person growing up in South Carolina during the time of Jim Crow.

Three Song Stories is an exploration of the power music has to connect us to times, places, people, and emotions from our lives. The show brings out the guests’ personalities, and personal histories, by mining the connections music has made during their lifetimes. It’s also a chance to sit back and listen to the eclectic mix of songs the guests have chosen for their ultimate musical memory short list.

Host/Co-Creator: Mike Kiniry
Host/Co-Creator: Richard Chin Quee
Host/Online Content Creator: Tara Calligan
Production Assistant: Jared "The Intern" Gonzalez

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WGCU PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida
Karyn Parsons | Three Song Stories Podcast | Episode 266
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