Karen Kenyatta Russell Was Named after Kenya’s Former Prime Minister – Facts about Bill Russell’s Daughter

Karen Kenyatta Russell’s life was shaped by a trip to Africa by her father, basketball player Bill Russell. The trip inspired her name, and her name inspired her life’s journey.

Back in 1959, iconic NBA player Bill Russell traveled to Africa. It was a time of social upheaval in the United States. The Civil Rights movement was gaining momentum simultaneously as Kenya gained independence from the British Empire.

Bill met Jomo Kenyatta, who was about to become Kenya’s first black leader, and he was impressed. When his daughter was born in 1962, Bill was inspired to name her Karen Kenyatta Russell in the Kenyan president’s honor.

Bill Russell hooks a shot during the NBA championship’s final game between the Boston Celtics and the Saint Louis Hawks in 1960. | Source: Getty Images

Bill Russell was the first black man to play basketball for the Boston Celtics. In those days, Boston was considered one of the most racist cities in the country, and yet Bill won 11 championships in the thirteen years he played there.

To this day, Bill is considered a pioneer and one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and he led the US team to a gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics. Bill opened the way for many other black athletes who now enrich our lives.

One of her most significant points of pride is that her parents participated in the historic March on Washington DC on August 28, 1963 when Karen was one year old.

Sadly, Bill Russell died on July 31, 2022, at 88. But he left behind a massive legacy. He made his mark on sports history and raised a daughter who is determined to do justice to the name he gave her, to fight for justice and make a difference.

Karen Kenyatta Russell and Bill Russell at the unveiling of a statue honoring the Boston Celtics player at Boston City Hall Plaza in 2013. | Source: Getty Images

Who is Karen Russell?

Karen described herself as being raised in privilege and yet still experiencing racism. As the daughter of a sports superstar, she had access to the best education that money could buy, from kindergarten through grade school and high school, college, and ultimately, to Harvard Law School.

After becoming a lawyer, Karen naturally gravitated toward politics and activism. Part of it was what she experienced as a child and young woman, and part was what she saw as her duty for what she had received. She wrote on Twitter:

“My parents taught me I was no better or worse than anyone BUT I had an obligation to give back ALWAYS.”

Karen has established herself as a respected political analyst and is frequently invited to comment on legal and politically sensitive issues on CNN, MSNBC and TruTV.

Karen Russell dancing with Seattle delegate Chris Porter at Invesco Field in 2008. | Source: Getty Images

Karen Russell’s Early Years

Karen believes that as Bill Russell’s children, she and her two brothers were spared some of the worse effects of overt racism, but not all. Like every other black child, she was still vulnerable to casual cruelty.

She recounted an incident that happened when she was three or four years old on a walk on Marblehead with a white friend of the family. A man walked by, and as the tiny Karen smiled at him, he made a harsh racist comment which she would only understand much later.

Karen recounted that she never knew if the white kids at school befriended her because they liked her or because her dad was Bill Russell, and she had a fantastic house with a pool.

As a teen, then a college student at Harvard, the racism Karen encountered would be more subtle but no less pervasive. Being black and a woman supposedly gained her special treatment. Karen hated being labeled as a token.

Civil Rights March on Washington DC on August 28, 1963. | Source: Getty Images

Karen is an Activist Against Racism

Karen grew up in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, watching her parents participate in the fight for equality and dignity for people of all colors and creeds. The Russells spoke up, and people listened.

One of her most significant points of pride is that her parents participated in the historic March on Washington DC on August 28, 1963, when Karen was one year old. They were there to hear Dr. Martin Luther King deliver his iconic “I have a dream” speech in person.

In a way, their passion is part of her legacy. Her father hoped that his children would grow up with an assurance of equality, but for Karen, the fight is far from over: Racism is alive and well, and living in the USA.

Karen is a passionate advocate for the “Black Lives Matter” movement and hosts a mini-course online. Much work is left to be done, and Karen Russell is not a woman to shirk her burdens.

Karen’s Family

Karen is proud of her father and frequently posts old photos of her parents and her brothers on her Instagram account. Karen is Bill and his wife Rose Swisher’s third child and only daughter.

Roe and Bill were college sweethearts and married in 1956. Their two oldest children were sons William Felton Jr and Jacob. Sadly, William passed away in 2016 at the age of 58.

William and Jacob have always kept a low profile, and little is known about their personal lives, although it is believed that the siblings are close. It is unknown if any of the three married or had children.

In October 2022, Jacob and Karen were photographed in Boston, visiting their father’s statue at Boston City Hall Plaza, paying tribute to the great man who gave them life and gave so much hope and a sense of pride.