About the Author
Adilah Barnes
Adilah Barnes is a testament to the truth that it is possible to become a successful working
actor without the trappings of fame. Her humble beginnings began in the dusty prune fields near Oroville, California and her acting achievements have garnered her roles in such films as the award-winning Erin Brockovich and HBO’s Iron-Jawed Angels. She has temped as a receptionist and also worked five seasons as an actor on the top-rated television sitcom, Roseanne. She knows firsthand the gritty reality of the have-nots and has also walked through what appeared to be the illustrious gates of Hollywood. Barnes has navigated through her seemingly insurmountable odds and come out on the other side as an actor on her own terms.
In a deeply personal account of her own life and career, Barnes shares her battles, triumphs, frustrations, and joys, both silent and overt. Aside from focusing on Barnes’
multifaceted career, On My Own Terms brings to life a historical backdrop including the Civil Rights Movement, Viet Nam War, Black Power Movement, assassinations of public figures, and unrest of the 1960s during her coming of age.
Barnes was born in the agricultural town of Oroville, California. At that time, it had the distinct feel of a small Southern town airlifted and dropped in California. Her childhood influences in her colorful village shaped her perception of the world and, ultimately, informed her work as an actor. She and her six other siblings were raised by a remarkable mother, a single parent who was the eldest of twelve children. Her mother passed on to Barnes thoughtprovoking wisdom and riveting memories of Martha, her great-great grandmother, who was born a slave. Barnes also witnessed her mother’s tenacity and community leadership when she purchased a corner lot for $200 and rallied many in the community to help make her dream of having her own home a reality.
Her mother’s recollections and passing down of history equipped Barnes with tools to survive and thrive as a human being and an artist. A chapter in this book pays homage to her deserving mother. Barnes excelled in school until she was struck inexplicably with petit mal epilepsy. The disease caused her to retreat inside herself until Project Upward Bound entered her life during her high school years. It was there that she was singled out for leadership, groomed for college,and discovered acting at the age of sixteen. Thus, began her lifelong career as an actor.
She now shares her extraordinary journey with others.
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Adilah Barnes is an award-winning actor, producer, acting and writing instructor, and retreat proprietor. Her one woman show I Am That I Am: Woman, Black has toured three continents and close to forty states in the US. She co-founded the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival which has produced over 400 solo artists from around the globe and is owner of the The Writer’s Well, a literary retreat for women in the Atlanta area. She is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz in Theatre Arts and of the American Conservatory Theater Black Actor’s Workshop in San Francisco. Barnes has received such awards as the Women in Theatre Red Carpet Award, Peace Quest Peace Keeper Award, Circle of Positive Women Outstanding Circle and Exemplary Positive Living Award, Trio Achiever Award, African American Women in Cinema Pioneer Award and DramaLogue Outstanding Achievement in Theatre Award. Bi-coastal, she resides in both the greater Los Angeles and Atlanta communities. Her son Tariq and grandson Malik Isaiah live near her in California.