Deborah Kaye Allen, a talented individual, was born in Houston, Texas, to African-American parents, Vivian Elizabeth Ayers, a poet and art director, and Andrew Arthur Allen, an orthodontist. As a child, Debbie, along with her older brother, Andrew, affectionately known as Tex, and her older sister, the accomplished actress Phylicia Rashad, resided in Mexico for a brief period to escape the prevalent racism and segregation that was characteristic of Texas during the 1950s. Their mother, Vivian, made this decision to provide Debbie and Phylicia with a unique experience of not having to endure the chronic racism and segregation that was typical of Texas during that era. As a result, Debbie and Phylicia possess fluency in the Spanish language.
Debbie Allen graduated from Jack Yates Senior High School in Houston, Texas, in 1967. She later graduated cum laude from Howard University in 1971, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Classical Greek Literature, Speech, and Theater from the esteemed institution. Debbie's experiences at Howard University, a Historically Black College, significantly influenced her production and direction of the popular television show A Different World, which premiered in 1987.
Despite her parents' divorce, Debbie maintained a remarkably close relationship with her father until his passing. Alongside her sister Phylicia, Debbie co-founded the production company "D.A.D.," which stood for "Doctor Allen's Daughters." Their mother, Vivian Ayers Allen, a Pulitzer-nominated poet, is credited with instilling in Debbie a sense of creativity and artistic expression.
