Karyn Parsons goes from acting to producing animated films for children
Fans of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" were all very excited to see the Fresh Prince family on this year's BET Awards for a quick reunion while announcing an award. I caught up with Karyn Parsons
(who
played Hillary on the hit sitcom) and she told me all about her new company,
Sweet Blackberry, which produces animated films based on Black history for
children.Karyn explained, "We're gearing it towards children that are like four and up, so you want it to be really fun and you don't want them to feel like they have to sit down and behave and pay attention. You want them to have a good time." The first project, narrated by Alfrie Woodard, is the true tale of a slave named Henry Box Brown. In 1848, Henry mailed himself in a wooden box from a plantation in Richmond, Virginia, to freedom in Philadelphia.
Karyn plans to tell other stories as well. "There are so many amazing people, some that you've heard of, some you haven't. Like, Madame C.J. Walker could be a very fun one for kids. The more I find out about her, the more interesting I think that she is. Garret Morgan, the inventor best known for the traffic signal...There are so many people who contributed so much to this country that we don't ever hear about." She added, "What I want it to do for children is to let them know that no matter what your obstacles are, no matter what you are given in life, you can do anything you want. You can do it!"
