Felicia Pride

Felicia Pride is an American author, screenwriter, producer, and director. She is the author of six books, including the young adult novel Patterson Heights. Pride has written for the television shows Queen Sugar and Grey's Anatomy. Her 2020 directorial debut tender received the STARZ/Lionsgate Short Film Award at the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival.[1][2]

Felicia Pride
Pride in 2014
Pride in 2014
BornBaltimore, Maryland
OccupationAuthor, screenwriter, director, producer
Alma materTowson University (BA)
Emerson College (MA)
GenreCreative nonfiction, hip-hop, African-American literature, Young adult literature
Years active2001–present
Notable workstender
Website
Official website

Early life and education

Pride was born in 1979 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her family moved to West Orange, New Jersey when she was young. She lived there until the age of eleven before returning to Baltimore to complete middle and high school.[3] She attended Towson University where she studied marketing. Pride received her master's degree in writing and publishing from Emerson College in 2005.[4]

Career

Books

Pride began her writing career in 2001, writing for the community newspaper Black Reign News based in Staten Island, New York. Over the period of 15 years, Pride has authored six books. Her motivational book of essays, The Message: Life Lessons from Hip-Hop's Greatest Songs was published in 2007. The book has been used as a teaching tool in classrooms across the country and was re-issued by NBCUniversal.[5][6][7][8] Her young adult novel, Patterson Heights was a 2010 American Library Association Pick for Reluctant Readers.[9]

TV and film

Pride's first written film was the dramatic short The End Again (2014) starring Columbus Short and Tanee McCall, directed by Crystal C. Roberson and co-produced with Latisha Fortune.[10] The film was written as a prequel to the in-production feature film OpenEnded is in production.[11] Pride was selected as a Film Independent Screenwriting Fellow in 2016.[12]

Pride joined her first writer's room for the fourth season of Queen Sugar, and was also the story editor for the show's fifth season.[13] She is also on the writing staff of the seventeenth season of Grey's Anatomy.[13]

Her directorial debut was the short film tender, about two Black women in the aftermath of a one-night stand.[14] The film received the STARZ/Lionsgate Short Film Award at the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival.[15] That year she also co-wrote and executive produced her first feature drama film Really Love, which received a Special Jury Recognition for Acting award at SXSW 2020.[14]

In April 2021 it was announced that Pride's romantic drama script Like It's the Last is in development by Will Packer and James Lopez, and she is also an executive producer on the project.[2]

Works

Books
  • The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop's Greatest Songs (2007)
  • Hallway Diaries (2007)
  • Everybody Hates Chris: Everybody Hates First Girlfriends (2007)
  • Everybody Hates Chris: Everybody Hates School Politics (2008)
  • Patterson Heights (2009)
  • To Create: Black Writers, Filmmakers, Storytellers, Artists and Media Makers Riff on Art, Careers, Life, and the Beautiful Mess in Between (2012)
  • The Message: Life Lessons from Hip-Hop's Greatest Songs (reissued; 2012)
  • The Educator's Guide to The Message: A Digital Companion (2012)

Short fiction
  • It’s All Love: Black Writers on Soul Mates Family and Friends edited by Marita Golden (2009)

Filmography

Film
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2014 The End Again No Yes Yes Short film[11]
2020 tender Yes Yes Yes Short film[14]
2020 Really Love No Yes Yes Co-written with Kristi Angel Williams[2]

Television
Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2020–2022 Grey's Anatomy No Yes Yes
2019; 2021 Queen Sugar No Yes No

Accolades

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result
2020 BlackStar Film Festival STARZ/Lionsgate Short Film Award tender Won[15]

References
  1. N'Duka, Amanda (September 6, 2015). "Film Independent Unveils Screenwriting Lab Slate, Names Fellowship Recipient". Deadline.
  2. N'Duka, Amanda (2021-04-13). "Will Packer Productions Teams With 'Grey's Anatomy' Writer Felicia Pride For 'Like It's the Last'". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  3. "Felicia Pride encourages students at her alma mater to #BeTheDream". Storify.
  4. "Felicia Pride | Emerson College". Emerson.edu. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  5. "The Message: Life Lessons From Hip Hop's Greatest Songs Focuses On Rap Messages For Youth". Hip-Hop Wired. 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  6. Marco R. della Cava, USA TODAY (2008-01-14). "Read between the lyrics of these pop hits - USATODAY.com". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  7. Pride, Felicia (2012-10-08). "The Educators' Guide to The Message". NBC Publishing. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  8. "Getting 'The Message' from Hip-Hop Lyrics". NPR. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  9. "2010 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers". American Library Association. Young Adult Library Services Association.
  10. "Exclusive First Look at Columbus Short in Short Romantic Drama 'The End Again'". Shadow and Act. 2014-03-24. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  11. "Exclusive: Tanee McCall Discusses Her New Film, The End Again, and Opens Up About Her Marriage to Columbus Short". The Grapevine. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  12. N'Duka, Amanda (September 6, 2015). "Film Independent Unveils Screenwriting Lab Slate, Names Fellowship Recipient". Deadline.
  13. Jackson, Angelique (2021-04-13). "Will Packer Productions Teams With Felicia Pride for Track & Field Romantic Drama 'Like It's the Last'". Variety. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  14. Sandoval, Lapacazo (2020-10-08). "Writer Felicia Pride steps behind the camera to direct her first short film "Tender" — a look at a woman's sexuality". Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  15. Cummings, Sinead (27 August 2020). "'Miss Juneteenth' crowned BlackStar Film Festival winner". www.phillyvoice.com. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
  16. 2010 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
  17. Speaker Bios Stem+Woman
  18. Felicia Pride- Pen/Faulkner Foundation
  19. Film Independent Unveils Screenwriting Lab Slate, Names Fellowship Recipient
  20. Robb, David (2017-10-06). "NBC Names Eight To Its 'Writers on the Verge' Diversity Program". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
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