Sara was born in Mobile, Alabama and raised in L.A.’s Leimert Park neighborhood.  She credits her southern roots and West Coast upbringing for providing the inspiration and passion for many of the stories she writes about.  Also, her Mama and Auntie were the family griots and their amazing storytelling had a profound effect on her.

After graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, Sara began her television career as a Writer on several classic television comedies including: The Jeffersons, The Facts of Life, Married with Children and 227.  She later worked as a Producer on Family Matters and The Parenthood.  Sara was proud to Co-Create and serve as Executive Producer/Showrunner on the groundbreaking UPN hit comedy, Moesha --  inspired by her growing up in Leimert Park,  and its equally successful spin-off, The Parkers. She was a Consulting Producer the first two seasons on the hugely popular BET dramedy, The Game as well as the hit BET hour drama, The Quad.  She was also Co-Executive Producer on BET’s American Soul and Games People Play before landing as Consulting Producer on Ava DuVernay’s award winning OWN series, Queen Sugar. She was Co-Executive Producer on the seventh and final season of Queen Sugar.

She loves the theater and has written and produced numerous plays over the years, including: Mens, which was nominated for an NAACP Theater Award.  She is also the co-founder of Los Angeles Black Playwrights, which was based at the Mark Taper Forum and produced plays throughout the Los Angeles area.

Sara strongly believes in reaching back and lifting up. She is a mentor to many aspiring writers/creatives and supports and contributes to numerous charities/scholarship funds, including: The Lula Washington Dance Theater, The Four Sisters Scholarship at UCLA, The Sara Finney Johnson Scholarship at USC and at Century City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority where she is a proud member. She gives thanks to her family for their constant love and to God for making everything possible in her life.

Sara continues to pursue her passion for writing by telling stories that not only entertain but also enrich, uplift and inform. Her motto: “Know your worth, use your voice and tell your stories.”

During her time at Mara Brock Akil’s Writers’ Colony, Sara worked on her latest screenplay and passion project, Pine Grove -- a story about love, legacy, magical quilts and the power of Black women.

Follow Sara at @sarafinneyjohnson