“Radical empathy…means putting in the work to educate oneself and to listen with a humble heart to understand another’s experience from their perspective, not as we imagine we would feel. [It is]….the kindred connection from a place of deep knowing that opens your spirit to the pain of another as they perceive it.”

–  Isabel Wilkerson, Caste

One thing you can’t tell by looking at me is… I was an assistant Script Supervisor on Spike Lee’s film, X. 

A little bit about me:
Growing up as a biracial person in the 60s and 70’s, I often felt isolated by my white peers’ unwillingness to grasp that yes, it is possible to be both Black and white. I didn’t know how desperately I needed to find stories that would help me make sense of the world until I discovered Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye when I was a teenager. I still remember my excitement and relief at finding that book. It was the first book I’d encountered that acknowledged the ways in which Black people’s lives were treated as being less valuable and the terrible suffering generated by those beliefs. 

Over time, my writing has helped me construct an identity that not only makes sense to me but also connects to Joseph Campbell’s definition of the hero as being  ‘the man or woman who has been able to battle past his [or her/their] personal and local historical limitations to the generally valid, normally human forms.” 

In 2017, I joined the first cohort of TMI Project’s Black Stories Matter program. That was a life-changing experience for me. In 2018, I trained to become a TMI Project workshop leader and haven’t looked back since then. I love the work we are doing to help storytellers share their radically true stories free of fear, shame and the stigma of cultural expectations

Why do I think people should apply to Stories for Freedom?
By telling your radically true story, you are creating more spaciousness and possibility in your own life and in the lives of others who will be empowered by your honesty and courage. 

That’s why we take so much care in nurturing safer workshop spaces where participants can  express their unique voices and perspectives.

Honest and vulnerable storytelling is one of the most powerful agents for change in the world  and, at this time, we urgently need all change-makers on deck. 

“I’ll tell you what freedom is for me; no fear.”

–  Nina Simone

How have I experienced freedom through storytelling? 
By telling my radically true stories, I’ve been able to see myself through a clearer lens – embracing not only my strength but also my vulnerability. Storytelling has helped me grow into a braver, more compassionate and more resilient human being. 

Is there a changemaker that inspires you to fight for freedom through their storytelling? 
I am inspired by changemakers in many arenas; those who are working to envision and implement new ways of living and being in community with our human, animal and plant families. 

I am inspired by writers and poets like James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Lucille Clifton, Audre Lorde, Isabel Wilkerson and too many others to name, whose powerful language and uncompromising vision is surfacing so much buried truth. 

I am inspired by healers, activists and community organizers who are making ways out of no-way, making space for self love and community connection to flourish.