I first joined Community Conversations: Sister to Sister back in 2020, a time when isolation turned into a hunger for connection. What I found was more than just a gathering, it was a lifeline, a space where presence itself carried healing power. Like that scene from Sinners.

My professional background has roots in program and policy analysis focused on advancing efforts to improve Black maternal health. It;s a field that pulls the heart in different directions too often. Each promising step forward seemed to have a sense of defeat attached to it, and it chipped at my usual optimism.

But sitting in that circle with other Black women, who knew similar hurdles, firsthand left like a kind of restoration. Sometimes it was the words we shared, but just as often was the silence of simply being together (in true introvert fashion). It reminds me of the warm heat from a campfire last September.

Through the Organizational Leader Fellowship, I take on the chance to merge two pieces of myself: the passion for ensuring Black women receive the health and care we so righteously deserve and the groundingness of community-centered operations.

In Community Conversations, the value I try to bring is sisterhood. It’s the hugs mixed with sass, laughter through planning sessions, and the belief that our joy belongs at the center of all we do.

You can often find me wandering farmers markets, discovering new events across the city, or quietly developing my photography skills (shhhh). These joys keep me grounded, but it's the community that keeps me moving forward.