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One of the only Garden Heights friends with whom Starr has remained close, Kenya is beautiful, bold, and possessive. The daughter of King and Iesha, she and Starr share Seven as a half brother, though Kenya usually refers to him as her brother, seemingly refusing to acknowledge Starr’s relationship to him. This exclusion indicates a deep fear she has that Seven is ashamed of her, an assumption she makes because of their mother’s reputation. Despite this insecurity, Kenya presents herself as self-assured and confident, never afraid to back down from a fight. Kenya is the reason Starr was at Big D’s party the night of the shooting, and when she learns that Starr was the witness to Khalil’s murder, Kenya challenges Starr to speak out with a greater boldness. Kenya accuses her of being ashamed of Garden Heights and trying to distance herself from her ties to the neighborhood. This criticism is a huge reason Starr chooses to lean more into activism, emboldened by Kenya’s bravery to find her own voice. Although Kenya is King’s daughter, she remains close with Starr’s family, even helping DeVante to escape him. A victim of King’s abuse herself, Kenya eventually goes to live with her grandmother, holding steadfastly to the unwavering bravery that inspired Starr to grow in hers.
