Ida B. Kinney was born in Lafayette County, Arkansas in 1904. She was raised by her maternal grandparents, who were born into enslavement. Her mother and father separated when she was small and her mother needed to work. In search of a better life for her family, Kinney's mother eventually moved them to California when she was 16. Kinney attended Santa Monica High School, moved back to Arkansas to finish high school, then came back to California, attended the University of Californa, Los Angeles, and graduated from CSUN (then San Fernando Valley State College) in 1970 with a degree in sociology.

In addition to working as an elementary school teacher and an adminstrator for Head Start, Kinney volunteered with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and fought for integration and civil rights. She was also active in her church and a member of the CSUN Black Student Union. While she was not present when students took over the administration building in November 1968, she supported the students and felt that their actions had a positive impact. She was arrested with many other students on January 9, 1969 when Acting President Delmar T. Oviatt declared a state of emergency on campus. Kinney believed that the activism of herself and other students ultimately moved CSUN to be a more equitable campus. She continued to fight for civil rights throughout her life. Ida B. Kinney passed away at age 104 in January 2009. At the time of her death she was believed to be the oldest Black American in the San Fernando Valley.