An honors graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, Harrison earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Black Studies. While contemplating a major at UCSB, Harrison says she chose Black Studies because "I knew I was going to be a writer one day and I wanted my work to breathe a certain historical and cultural accuracy beyond my own day-to-day experiences."

Suzette D. Harrison resides way out west with her husband, their children, and two gluttonous goldfish.