"It was when I began to read works by Black Authors. Zora Neale Hurston/ Richard Wright among them. That, I realized that, they had fought to tell their stories. It made me realize my stories were worth the battle, too. We are in the midst of such a battle right now. Between book bans, gutted curricular and attacks on academics, journalists and artists. The fight may only get harder from here. But, the stories were are telling are worth that fight."

"I participated in the Hurston/Wright Foundations Nonfiction Workshop in the summer of 2014 when I was at a crossroads, trying to figure out how to write narrative/historical nonfiction for a broader audience. Wil Haygood's tutelage helped me to make this transition and feel confident that I had what it took to succeed. I am grateful to Wil Haygood and the Hurston Wright Foundation for helping me get to where I am today."