‘Power’ Creator Courtney A. Kemp Wants More Black, Female Showrunners: I need there to be more me’s.

Courtney Kemp

The world of Power show creator Courtney A. Kemp is one many would envy, with the success of her hit show’s season three premiere hitting record breaking numbers for the Starz Network. But her story on how the show’s creation came into fruition is one of inspiration and motivation for many young black girls that are looking to walk down the same path of one of the women who is in an elite circle of black female showrunners.

Power’s Omari Hardwick

Kemp’s journey to create the the show’s protagonist James “Ghost” St. Patrick played by Omari Hardwick was done during a time of heartbreak. After losing her father in 2011, the inspiration for her main character was born and two years later, Power is one of the most successful shows on the cable network and was recently renewed for two more seasons. Kemp sat down with Cosmopolitan magazine to talk more about the heartbreak of losing her father, how the character of “Ghost” compares, how it is being one of the few visible black female showrunners in the television industry and how much of an influence rapper/actor/executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has on the story lines. Peep some of the excerpts from the interview below.

Power’s Naturi Naughton, 50 Cent

On how 50 Cent is as a storyteller:

He is a great storyteller. We’ll get on the phone and talk, and he’ll tell a story and I’m like, ‘OK, I’ll take this piece and this piece, and marry them together.’

On her dad’s influence on the “Ghost” character’s fashion sense and why Ghost always wears a suit:

He felt that as a black person, the thing you could control was how did you look, how did you dress, how did you sound, how did you smell, how did you act. All of that stuff that you could control would absolutely have a strong impact on your access.

On her journey being “charmed”:

I’ll tell you this: When you are in line with God’s will, it’s like a hot knife through butter. You can’t stop it.

On longing for the days of more black female showrunners:

I need there to be more me’s. I just want to have someone to call and say, ‘Girl, I just got off the phone with the network. This shit is terrible.’ And to have someone else call and be like, ‘Girl, I know. On my show this happened.’ I just want to make a community.

Power’s third season airs Sundays at 9 P.M. EST on Starz.

By -@JnelleBelleMedia