ESSENCE
In my fashion and culture contributions to ESSENCE, I write about the impact of sartorial moments within the contememporary industry landscape.
Leading with particular reverence for the Black editorial tradition, I engage my writing here with application of African-American historical contextuality, placing aesthetic analysis within the chronology of beauty, desirability, and marketability politics.
In addition to feature essays, I complete SEO-optimized news writing surrounding more time-sensitive activiations (i.e. New York Fashion Week, etc.).
- 'Giants' And The Importance Of Culturally Referential Museum Exhibitions And Merchandise
- House Of Aama Brings Los Angeles' Jazz Scene Into The Present
- How Aura by Jewel Alchemizes Whimsical Creations With Intention
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For Spring/Summer 2024 Frederick Anderson Takes Inspiration From 'Swan Lake' And His Ballet Origins
- The KOKIYAJ Jewelry Collection Honors the Narratives That Inform Our Adornment
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Streetwear Flea Aims To Bring Communal Uplift Back To Fashion’s Subculture
- Meet Keia Bounds, The Stylish Mind Behind Survival Of The Thickest Costuming
- The Story Behind ByGoldiie's Eloquent Resin Flower Earrings And Their Intentional Origins
- Herrana Addisu On Her Shea Moisture Grant & What’s Next For Chucha Studios
- The Black Fashion Influencers Driving Conceptual Storytelling
ESSENCE GU
Under former editorial leadership of writer + editor Brookyln White-Grier, I contributed cultural essays to the Gen-Z arm of ESSENCE magazine. My work centered on young Black femme and queer voices within online culture and the content creator industry.
Teen VOGUE
Since 2022, I have contributed across editorial formats for the publication, writing and editing essays, interview profiles and television reviews in the distinct Teen Vogue voice. As a longtime Condé Nast brand consumer and freelancer, I am familiar with SEO standards across subsiduaries as well as the respective editing preferences of the poingnant youth-forward reporting team.
- Industry Star Myha’la Herrold Talks Harper Stern and Embracing Boldness
- Industry Season 2 Targets the Intoxicating Power of Harper Stern
- How a New Generation of Black Organizers Changed Atlanta
- Letter From Birmingham Jail: MLK’s Lessons for Young Activists
AD | Clever
My contributions to the Architectural Digest team lend to the coverage of contemporary living within practical space. I interview homedwellers and artists about their refreshing approaches to design and interior trendsetting, cultivating the expansive range of accessible voices on the platform. I enjoy spotlighting art history, innovative DIY projects, and emerging designers who are pushing boundaries in the industry.
This South African Collector’s Brooklyn Apartment Embraces the Art of Organized Whimsy
(+ more in progress)
The
New York
Times
At 19, I became one of the youngest op-ed contributors to the New York Times’ print Sunday Review in its history with my reflective essay about attending Spelman College.
The article focused on my childhood, cultivating a critical racial consciousness, and framing my nuanced relationship to education growimg up as one of few Black students in a predemominently white town. For various reasons contextualized in the essay, I viewed my college decision as an exercise in cultural homegoing.
Why I Chose a Historically Black College
SLEEK
For Berlin-based arts magazine, Sleek, I wrote about multimedia artist Kristina Shakht and her photo series about the body as a vessel of memory.
Shakht's work is a profound exploration of the female body, blending elements of art, meditation, and feminism. Utilizing sculpture and performance, Shakht invites viewers to reflect on themes of identity, empowerment, and self-acceptance, creating a thought-provoking experience that transcends conventional artistic boundaries.
Kristina Shakht’s Latest Project Is a Meditation on the Female Body
CNN
From 2018 to 2021, I worked at CNN in booking, production, newsgathering, and strategy roles, accruing bylines on the digital vertical as well as on-air script management.
In 2020, during my tenure as a News Associate at the D.C. Bureau, I served on the inaugural Race & Equality team, which was launched as an extension of the coverage on George Floyd’s death and the surrounding nationwide demonstrations. At this time, I wrote repeatedly for the trends / culture desk while co-producing for Race & Equality, often serving as liaison for on-air talent including Susan Malveau as well as Jim Sciutto and Brianna Kieller.
- Black women’s roles in the civil rights movement have been understated – but that’s changing
- Barbie confronts racism in viral video and shows how to be a White ally
- Evanston, Illinois, approves the country's first reparations program for Black residents
- Travon Free works to make ‘Two Distant Strangers’ more thought-provoking than triggering
- 150 lower-income pregnant Black and Pacific Islander women in San Francisco to get $1,000 monthly
- What you need to know about the #ScholarStrike and what it means to protest during a pandemic
- States are calling racism a public health crisis. Here’s what that means
- This football coach is leading his players and community in a powerful remembrance of an American tragedy
- Cities reckon with past atrocities against Black people but experts say it won’t cause actual reform
- The gaming world often overlooks players of color. This new studio is changing that
- Morris Brown’s reaccreditation could signal more longevity among HBCUs
CNN
Style
Among my proudest works are my contributions to CNNStyle, initiating my transition into more concentrated arts coverage and criticism. I was able to interview Anifa Mvuemba at her first in-person collection presentation, creative director and photographer Joshua Renfroe about his mixed-media project “Black Boy Fly,” and gallerist Mehari Sequar, owner of the eponymous arts space in Northeast Washington, D.C.
Artland
In my essay for Artland, I covered the Andrea Festa Fine Art Gallery presentation of Emmanuel Massillon and Darin Cooper’s works. Entitled "Outer Body Experiences," the Paris exhibition ran in 2022, offering patrons an immersive encounter with the dynamic expressions of two emerging talents in American folk art.
Through a harmonious blend of sculpture and painting, the artists intricately dissect intercultural dialogues within Black spaces, addressing systemic issues like gentrification, over-policing, and the maintenance of food deserts with larger reference to African-American material heritage.
Cooper employs a mix of printmaking, collage, and acrylic painting to evoke spiritual release and historical legacies, while Massillon infuses found objects like bullet shells and sand with brass instruments and wooden masks, reimagining contemporary symbols in African American culture with a touch of playful symbolism.
Outer Body Experiences
Business
Insider
I interviewed Dotun Abeshinbioke, a Nigerian set designer and the owner of Ábiké Studio in New York. The activation artist started her work as a Parsons student, making sets for friends and ultimately, corporate clients.
I'm a set designer for photoshoots and events. Here's how working for friends helped me turn a college hobby into a 6-figure business.