Rain Pryor on Life, Racism, Sweets and Why She’s Running for Office

On her email signature line, Rain Pryor characterizes herself as an “Entertainer/Writer/Awesome Wife & Mom & Running for Baltimore City Council in the 3rd District.”

But the truth is, she’s all that and so much more.

Pryor, 50, who moved to Charm City from Los Angeles in 2006, is an award-winning actress, singer, playwright, confectionery entrepreneur and author. Besides being one of the young stars of the hit late ’80s/early ’90s TV sitcom “Head of the Class,” she is the daughter of the late comedy icon Richard Pryor and Shelley R. Bonus, a Jewish go-go dancer-turned-astronomer.

In addition, Rain Pryor is the creator of the popular one-woman show “Fried Chicken and Latkes,” which deals with growing up African-American and Jewish in Hollywood. “I’m a product of this thing that everyone was against,” she once said about experiencing childhood racism during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Jmore recently caught up with Pryor when she spoke at our JBiz networking event on Nov. 19 at the Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore Hotel. Pryor lives in Northeast Baltimore with her husband, Dave Vane, and 11-year-old daughter, Lotus Marie.

Jmore: What do you hope that people got out of your talk at our networking event this week?

Pryor: I hope the attendees laughed and that we engaged in thoughtful conversations about being black and Jewish and finding home.

Your life has been well-documented in the media. What’s one thing that people don’t know about you?

I bake cookies and paint edible portraits on them. It’s my Zen place, and I made a very small business out of it called Raindrop Confections.

You’re running as a Baltimore City Council candidate. Why in the world are you suddenly running for political office?

I am running for office because my district needs an elected official that represents the voice of the community, and I want to bring the community together to solve the issues of public safety, small businesses, public education and the issues that face our adult seniors.

How has being Jewish impacted your career in the entertainment field?

No impact, other than I created a very successful, award-winning solo play about it called, “Fried Chicken and Latkes,” that is now in development for a TV series with Norman Lear, Brent Miller, MGM, Ritchie Schwartz, Olive Bridge and Eve Brandstein.

What are you working on these days?

I am working on my TV series that’s in development, campaigning and pulling together community leaders to organize a march against violence and crime. Hoping to have that in December.