No matter how many proposals I submitted for potential freelance editing gigs, how many submission guidelines I looked at for online or print publications, or how many blog posts I started in Google Docs but didn’t finish, vulnerability was required of me.
Category: Something True
Undeterred: Dr. Mae Jemison
When I think of Dr. Mae Jemison, the image in my mind is of a smiling young Black woman in an orange astronaut suit, possibly wearing or holding the kind of helmet that astronauts wear when they embark upon a spacewalk. The image in my mind is static, unmoving. It’s lovely and placid.
Episode 109: Black Hair with Camille Johnson
The January 17 episode of Something True delves into Camille’s and my personal hair journeys. We talk about our relationship with our hair, and share a few experiences of awkwardness when some people comment on it or touch it without our consent. This episode is about my cousin and me as individuals as much as…
Episode 108: Being Black in Predominantly White Spaces with Catrina Ballard
In the January 3 episode of Something True, I share a candid conversation with my friend Catrina Ballard. We connected years ago as two of a handful of Black students who attended our university. Our conversation centers around our shared experiences as Black women who have lived much of our lives in spaces that were…
Episode 107: She’s M.O.R.E. with Miranda Chism
To end the year, my dear friend Miranda Chism and I have a candid conversation about the end of 2021, and how we want to approach the start of the coming year. We talk setting goals, giving ourselves space for plans to change, and changing careers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/embraceyourjourney2bmore/?ref=share https://www.myshesmore.com/ Appalachian Elegy (Sections 1-6) by bell hooks…
Episode 106: Black Church With Clent Holmes
The December 20 episode is such a treat! I got to sit down with my good friend Clent Holmes to talk about something that holds a special place in both our hearts: the Black church. Twitter: Clent Holmes, II (@clent2) IG: Clent Holmes (@clent2) • Instagram photos and videos The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van…
Episode 105: One Love Longview with Amanda Veasy
In the December 6 episode, I sit down with my friend, community activist Amanda Veasy. She started her work years ago by serving unhoused folks food alongside her family, and she’s gradually expanded her efforts to include providing mental health services, hygiene needs, COVID testing and vaccines, and so much more, all under the umbrella…
Episode 104: Reconstruction with Dr. Meredith May
In the November 24 episode, I sit down for a frank conversation about Reconstruction with a historian, my friend Dr. Meredith May. With the insurrection from January still making news as various participants face trials, and with Thanksgiving upon us with its complicated history, this is a timely conversation. How, after all, can we make…
Episode 103: We Tried to Be a Bridge, with Tisha Grotemat
In the November 8 episode, I sit down for a candid conversation with my friend Tisha Grotemat. Our paths crossed last summer, and we embarked upon a journey of racial reconciliation together. We talk about the group we formed, the goal we set, and how we pivoted when we couldn’t quite reach the goal we…
Undaunted: Black Women who Shaped American History
When I envision a person who is undaunted, I see a person who feels fear and nonetheless keeps moving forward.
