KENYA MOORE BIO Kenya Summer Moore (born January 24, 1971) is an American film and television actress. Moore was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised by her grandmother (and primary inspiration) Doris in Detroit, Michigan. She is of African-American and Native American ancestry.[citation needed] Moore is a graduate of Cass Technical High School; whose other notable alumni include Diana Ross, David Alan Grier, Lily Tomlin, and Miss USA 1990 Carole Gist (the first African American to win). After high school, she went to Wayne State University where she majored in Psychology.

 Moore competed in numerous beauty pageants in 1993; first becoming Miss Michigan USA, then Miss USA, and then competing in Miss Universe, where she finished fifth. At Miss Universe 1993, Kenya was heavily booed. This was attributed to strained political relations between Mexico and the United States (the pageant was held in Mexico.) Another reason was Kenya's entry into the top 10, while Miss Mexico 1993 failed to make the cut. It gained attention again in 2007 when Miss USA 2007, Rachel Smith, another African-American Miss USA, was booed at Miss Universe also held in Mexico.
 

She is recognizable for her roles in movies such as Waiting to Exhale, and guest appearance roles in notable sitcoms such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single, and The Steve Harvey Show. However, one of her best acting roles came in the independent film Trois which also starred Gretchen Palmer and Gary Dourdan. She founded the Kenya Moore foundation which awards scholarships to under-privileged girls from her high school alma-mater.