Karyn Parsons

Karyn Parsons is best known for her role as Will Smith’s spoiled and quippy cousin Hilary Banks on NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

After Fresh Prince, Karyn went on to found Sweet Blackberry, an award-winning series of children’s animated films and books sharing stories of unsung black heroes in history, featuring narration from stars such as Alfre Woodard, Queen Latifah, Chris Rock, and Laurence Fishburne. The films have screened on HBO and Netflix and are enjoyed by schools and libraries across the country.

Karyn’s middle-grade novels include How High The Moon and Clouds Over California. She has also authored the picture books Flying Free: How Bessie Coleman’s Dreams Took Flight for Sweet Blackberry and Sweet Blackberry’s Saving The Day that tells the story of how Garrett Morgan invented the traffic signal.

Her YA debut novel, Blue Beach, is scheduled to hit shelves in the summer of 2026.