Felicia Pride

Felicia Pride
Pride in 2014
Born
Baltimore, Maryland, US
EducationTowson University (BA)
Emerson College (MA)
OccupationsAuthor, screenwriter, director, producer
Writing career
Years active2001–present
GenresCreative nonfiction, hip-hop, African-American literature, Young adult literature
Notable worktender (2020)
WebsiteOfficial website

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.

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 11, before returning to Baltimore to complete middle and high school. She attended Towson University, where she studied marketing. Pride received her master's degree in writing and publishing from Emerson College in 2005.

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. Her young adult novel, Patterson Heights, was a 2010 American Library Association Pick for Reluctant Readers.

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. The film was written as a prequel to the in-production feature film OpenEnded. Pride was selected as a Film Independent Screenwriting Fellow in 2016.

Pride joined her first writer's room for the fourth season of drama series Queen Sugar, and was also the story editor for the show's fifth season. She is also on the writing staff of the 17th season of medical drama TV series Grey's Anatomy.

Her directorial debut was the 2020 short film Tender, about two Black women in the aftermath of a one-night stand. The film received the STARZ/Lionsgate Short Film Award at the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival. That year, Pride 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.

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

Works

Books

Short fiction

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2014 The End Again No Yes Yes Short film
2020 tender Yes Yes Co-executive Short film
Really Love No Yes Co-executive Co-written with Kristi Angel Williams
2023 Look Back at It Yes Yes Yes Short film

Television

Year Title Creator Writer Executive
producer		 Notes
2019–2021 Queen Sugar No Yes No
2020–2022 Grey's Anatomy No Yes Producer
2024–2025 Bel-Air No Yes Co-executive
2026 A Different World Yes Yes Yes

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2020 BlackStar Film Festival STARZ/Lionsgate Short Film Award tender Won

References

  1. 1 2 3 N'Duka, Amanda (September 6, 2015). "Film Independent Unveils Screenwriting Lab Slate, Names Fellowship Recipient". deadline.com. Deadline Hollywood.
  2. 1 2 3 N'Duka, Amanda (April 13, 2021). "Will Packer Productions Teams With 'Grey's Anatomy' Writer Felicia Pride For 'Like It's the Last'". Deadline. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Felicia Pride encourages students at her alma mater to #BeTheDream". Storify.
  4. ↑ "Felicia Pride | Emerson College". Emerson.edu. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ Chandler, D.L. (October 16, 2012). "The Message: Life Lessons From Hip Hop's Greatest Songs Focuses On Rap Messages For Youth". Hip-Hop Wired. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  6. ↑ Marco R. della Cava, USA TODAY (January 14, 2008). "Read between the lyrics of these pop hits - USATODAY.com". Usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  7. ↑ Pride, Felicia (October 8, 2012). "The Educators' Guide to The Message". NBC Publishing. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Getting 'The Message' from Hip-Hop Lyrics". NPR. January 23, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  9. ↑ 2010 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Young Adult Library Services Association. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  10. ↑ "Exclusive First Look at Columbus Short in Short Romantic Drama 'The End Again'". Shadow and Act. March 24, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Exclusive: Tanee McCall Discusses Her New Film, The End Again, and Opens Up About Her Marriage to Columbus Short". The Grapevine. October 10, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Jackson, Angelique (April 13, 2021). "Will Packer Productions Teams With Felicia Pride for Track & Field Romantic Drama 'Like It's the Last'". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 Sandoval, Lapacazo (October 8, 2020). "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 April 25, 2021.
  14. 1 2 Cummings, Sinead (August 27, 2020). "'Miss Juneteenth' crowned BlackStar Film Festival winner". www.phillyvoice.com. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  15. ↑ "It's All Love: Black Writers on Soul Mates, Family, and Friends". Anthologies of African American Writing. George Mason University. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  16. ↑ Daniels, Robert (November 17, 2023). "Black Harvest Film Festival 2023 Highlights: John Singleton, Tyler Perry, and A Vibrant Artistic Community". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  17. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (May 29, 2026). "'A Different World' Sets Series Premiere Date On Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
  18. ↑ 2010 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
  19. ↑ Speaker Bios Stem+Woman[permanent dead link]
  20. ↑ Felicia Pride- Pen/Faulkner Foundation[permanent dead link]
  21. ↑ Robb, David (October 6, 2017). "NBC Names Eight To Its 'Writers on the Verge' Diversity Program". Deadline. Retrieved April 25, 2021.