How long have you been a member of the Black Health Network, and what drew you to CBHN?

I’ve been a member of CBHN for 2 years. Yet, I have been a loyal follower, supporter, and believer since discovering CBHN during COVID-19. 

What is your current profession?

I am an interdisciplinary theatre and performance artist. I am also the Visual Director of Theatre Roscius, a small non-profit experimental theatre and research company. Theatre Roscius creates new works that explore the emotional and inner lives of women, with a particular focus on Black women’s well-being. 

From your perspective, what barriers exist in achieving health equity for Black Californians?

Building and creating our own infrastructure and ecosystem that does not derive from a colonial framework. Investing in one another and taking big risks so we can get beyond relying on federal government and state funding.

Both in your work and with CBHN, how have you been able to prioritize the health of Black Californians?

Being able to create a theatre company in 2013 that gave me permission to focus on and tell stories about the mental health and well-being of Black women allowed me to give my energy and time to a non-profit in 2013. I have committed my life to telling stories about the mental health of Black women. The Black body has always been the primary vessel and portal of my work since 2012.

What inspires you to keep doing the work you do?

The belief that the future will be different and that what occurs in the present affects the frequency. Knowing a little Black girl in the future will find the work, and it will be of use to her in ways I could never imagine. 

What's the bravest thing you've ever done?

To keep going, while being my true, authentic self. In the face of adversity and in a time when being a follower is the norm. To be bold and stand in who I am has allowed me to walk into a work of service and storytelling that manifests beyond the formats already in existence. 

What's the best advice you've ever received?

“Everyone won’t like you, and you don’t need to be friends with everyone.” That has allowed me to be fearless and a force that can’t be reckoned with, even when people don’t want you to be who you are or succeed.