Bertice Berry facts for kids

Bertrice Berry, born in 1960, is an American expert in society, a writer, a speaker, and a teacher. She is known for her inspiring stories and her work in education.

Bertrice Berry's Early Life and Education

Bertrice Berry grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, with six brothers and sisters. Her mother raised them on her own. Even though her family faced many difficulties, Bertrice was determined to go to college.

College and Advanced Degrees

Many people told Bertrice that college was not for her. But she worked hard and graduated with high honors from Jacksonville University in Florida in 1982. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree there.

After that, she continued her studies at Kent State University in Ohio. She earned a Master of Arts degree in 1986. Then, she completed her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in sociology in 1988. In 1994, Jacksonville University also gave her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. This showed how much they respected her achievements.

Bertrice Berry's Career Journey

After finishing her Ph.D., Bertrice Berry taught sociology at Kent State University. Sociology is the study of how people live together in groups and societies.

From Teaching to Television

In the early 1990s, Bertrice decided to try something new. She left her teaching job to become an entertainer, speaker, and comedian. She even had her own TV talk show called The Bertice Berry Show. This show was shown across the country from 1993 to 1994.

A fun story from her show's start is that its first episode was delayed. Important news about a peace agreement was being broadcast. When her show finally aired, Bertrice joked, "We've got peace, now here's Bertice." Even though the show was popular, it ended after about seven months.

TV Appearances and Books

Besides her own show, Bertrice Berry has appeared on many other famous TV programs. These include The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She also gave a TEDx Talk, which is a speech about interesting ideas. She appeared on news shows like CBS Nightwatch, CNN's Crossfire, and Sonya Live.

Bertrice Berry is also a successful author. She has written several books, including two memoirs. Memoirs are books where authors share stories from their own lives. Her memoirs are called The World According to Me (1996) and I'm On My Way, But Your Foot Is On My Head: A Black Woman's Story of Getting Over Life's Hurdles (1997).

She also wrote novels, which are fictional stories. In 2009, she wrote The Ties That Bind: A Memoir of Race, Memory and Redemption. This book explores her family history and African American heritage. In 2010, she released a self-help book called A Year to Wellness and Other Weight Loss Secrets. This book won an NAACP Image Award in 2012 for being an outstanding instructional book.

Current Life and Business

Today, Bertrice Berry lives in Savannah, Georgia. She is also a co-owner of a business there called Iona's Gallery & Great Finds.