For the Harrison Sisters, Career Paths in Television Started at Mt. SAC
That two African-American sisters from Diamond Bar, California would both end up working as TV writers on shows we’ve actually heard of like Criminal Minds and How to Get Away With Murder is unlikely, but it happened for Kim and Erika Harrison. Of course, their story started at Mt. SAC.
Mt. SAC was a natural next step after high school for both women. Growing up in a family full of teachers, college wasn’t optional. Neither knew what they wanted to study, though, so they headed down the road to Walnut, California to attend Mt. SAC. The College was convenient and inexpensive without sacrificing quality: they knew they would get hands on learning opportunities that would give them a chance to discover their passions.
Kim’s passion started to spark during an interpersonal communication class with Phillip Maynard. From there, she was star-struck when she ended up in a class taught by Tammy Trujillo, whom she had grown up listening to on the radio. Tammy wanted Kim to work at KWFB in Hollywood, but Kim says she “didn’t know there was life outside Pasadena” and was nervous. Eventually, she made that leap and several others that led to a career in TV writing.
Erika was also inspired by Tammy Trujillo and expected to have a career in radio, and then Dan Smith’s TV and film class opened up a new possibility for her. The classes at Mt. SAC focused on firsthand experience, and she learned all aspects of the production process, which included making short films which she wrote, directed, and produced herself. These short films showed her that writing was her favorite part of the process.
Looking back, Kim says it makes sense that she and Erika became TV writers because they were obsessed with TV, especially soap operas, when they were growing up. Kim hated going to school because it kept her from watching her soaps. Erika also really liked The Wonder Years and is still discovering the impact that show had on her. Both were attracted to TV because of the storytelling aspect. Erika likes strong female leads who are complicated and imperfect and a sense of family, whatever that may entail. Sometimes it is the traditional concept of family, but sometimes it means chosen family or a work team that functions like a family. Kim is drawn to procedurals and enjoys finding opportunities to play with that structure.
While both women were finding steady work in the TV industry following their time at Mt. SAC, each went on to earn her BA. Kim did it for their grandmother. Seeing Kim’s name in the credits for Criminal Minds every week wasn’t enough; she wanted Kim to have the security of a bachelor’s degree. Family is important to the Harrisons; they still have family dinners every Sunday in Diamond Bar. Their vibe isn’t competitive; they make each other better. They help each other work through issues from writing blocks to career moves. They have worked together at various points in their careers, but the dream of course is to run a show together.
For now, both sisters have new jobs for the 2019-2020 TV season. Deputy on FOX premieres after the Super Bowl, and it will be Kim’s first turn at being a showrunner, which means she’s responsible for all the moving parts of putting each episode together. Erika will be a supervising producer (which is a writing job, despite how it sounds) on Nancy Drew, CW’s retelling of the old book series.
What seemed so impossible when they were growing up in Diamond Bar twenty years ago feels more realistic these days, as the Harrison sisters are hardly the only black women writing television shows. Their cooperative spirit isn’t limited to each other; they are part of a network of black female TV writers called Black Women Who Brunch (BWB). The organization, which now has more than 60 members, began in 2014 when Nkechi Okoro Carroll (then an executive story editor on Bones), Lena Waithe (then a new staff writer on Bones), and Erika L. Johnson (then a writer on Being Mary Jane) went looking for a tangible way to encourage other black women in the industry. BWB seems like a good fit for Erika and Kim Harrison, since supporting each other has always been at the forefront of their relationship.