Rainbow "Bow" Johnson

Grew up… in an interracial hippie family. Her father is a white man who loves black women so much he even got a license plate that reads "BLKWYF.” Her mother is a spiritual healer. It’s given her a unique perspective on life – a very different perspective than her Compton-raised husband Andre’s.

Living... in suburban upper middle class comfort with Andre and their four kids. Bow likes their neighborhood but Dre is concerned their children aren’t getting a true black experience. She finds parenting difficult enough without inserting race into the equation, telling Andre, “You’re the Marco Polo of racism. You find it everywhere!”

Profession... surgeon at one of LA’s top hospitals. She worked hard at Brown and medical school and has no trouble balancing a tough schedule at the hospital with her duties as a mom back home.  

Relationship Status...  married to Andre, a marketing executive at a mostly white firm. They started dating when neither was successful but they’ve grown and changed together. Andre has a temper and makes rash decisions, but after so many years she’s realized he’s harmless and will come to his senses eventually. If anything, she finds his outrageousness charming.

Challenge... parenting in modern times. Raising her kids alongside a stubborn, hotheaded husband adds an extra layer of difficulty. The two disagree on things like spanking and how best to protect their family after a robbery in their neighborhood. They’re good at meeting in the middle, though. Their relationship wouldn’t have made it two decades without compromise.                                                                                                  

Personality... intelligent, poised, and patient. Dealing with patients under the knife is stressful; coming home to Andre’s problems is usually just annoying. When he calls her out on not being fully black, Rainbow is quick to snap back, “If I’m not really black, can someone tell my hair and my ass?” She is confident at work and at home, saving lives and raising great (but weird) kids.