Artist Statement

I am where I am today because of the Black women who came before me. I stand on the shoulders of those who fought for my right to speak, to love, and to exist authentically in a society that often tried to silence them. My work as an artist is an extension of that fight. I believe that every child who looks like me deserves the right to dream of any future they can imagine.

I view my art as a form of activism. A sanctuary where I can confront "taboo" social issues and speak truths that others might fear to voice. Whether I am performing in a vibrant musical or the ultimate drama, my goal is to hold a mirror up to the world and force an audience to question the status quo. On stage, I am shielded by a character, yet that very shield gives me the courage to be my most honest self. Theatre gives me an audience to educate and challenge. I refuse to be silent in a world that often demands it of women like me. 

I am guided by the words of Audre Lorde:

“We can sit in our corners mute forever while our sisters and our selves are wasted, while our earth is poisoned; we can sit in our safe corners mute as bottles, and we will still be no less afraid.”

Through my art, I choose to leave the corner. I choose to speak up.