My therapist once reflected to me that my “core value is Justice.” I’m still parsing whether that is something I choose, how I cope, or a result of being born in Birmingham, Alabama into poverty and a body labeled Black, queer, and female. Whatever the causes, the result has been 15 years of collaboration with leaders across legal, academic, nonprofit, and business spheres to transform power structures, policies, and culture to create justice and belonging. 

I started out teaching Black & Brown 6th graders how to read & write. Now I’ve taught over 75 organizations the adult equivalent of reading & writing – how to work together. In between, I became a professional advocate (read: recovering lawyer), left a job at the California DOJ and started organizing and giving money to Black teachers. I led People work at a (big, national) nonprofit, founded one (not as big) of my own, and raised tens of thousands of dollars for others. I taught C-Suite folks about white supremacy and entertainment execs why representation matters. I wrote open letters, blogs, fanfiction, as well as curriculum for personal and organizational development. All in pursuit of the thing my soul calls Justice.

I’ve been called a lot of things while doing this work. Some kind, some cruel, but the most humbling has been “educator.” It speaks to the soft, courageous part of the still little Black girl in me that’s just trying to help us unlearn the lies we believe, like white supremacy & patriarchy trying to get me to hate me. In protecting her, I’ve grown my passion and praxis for justice, focusing these days on supporting the best change makers we’ve got–humans working together.