Long was born on October 30, 1970, in
Brooklyn to Talita Long (née Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet. Her mother is of
Trinidadian descent. Long has an older half-sister, the actress and comedian known as
Sommore. When Long was two years old, her parents divorced. Long accompanied her mother, who moved to
Iowa City, to study
fine arts. When Long was seven, her mother moved to
South Los Angeles, where she planned to marry. Doughtry and his fiancé called off the wedding, but Talita chose to stay in Los Angeles. Long's father resided in
Trenton, New Jersey. She was bused from South LA to Paseo Del Rey Elementary School in
Playa Del Rey from third grade through sixth grade and attended
St. Mary's Academy in
Inglewood, California. In addition to her academic classes, Long studied
ballet,
tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting. She graduated from
Westchester High School in Los Angeles in 1989. ==Career==