Journalism

This article talks about the First Baptist Church of Whitesboro, located in Cape May County, New Jersey, which is celebrating 120 years. Whitesboro is a historically all-Black town with a rich history that Middle Township has attempted to erase, by tearing down its establishments and taking land from families. The church is Whitesboro's oldest institution and is one of the few remaining. Despite efforts to erase Whitesboro's history, a strong network of people have been fighting back and doing all they can to preserve their history.

My senior thesis, titled “Issa Rae’s ‘Creative Empire’: How Authenticity is Challenged by Art’s Relationship with Capitalism,” explored producer, actress, and multi-hyphenate Issa Rae's broad range of creative work. Using Rae as a case study, it discusses how Black creators can simultaneously produce "authentic" work and contribute to capitalism. In April 2024, I interviewed the artist about her brilliant show Insecure, its importance in the Black community, and her intentions behind her work. The transcript and more details are linked here.

Each summer, Global Citizen, partnered with the Reading Captains Initiative, puts out an early literacy volunteer newsletter that is posted on the Reading Captains website. This was a special edition, led by my colleague Jules Galette and I, that highlighted the Initiative's key components and could be shared at community events to help support early literacy activities in the fall. I devised content, wrote out event descriptions, provided some photographs, and designed the newsletter.

Actress, producer, and activist Aunjanue Ellis has accomplished notable work both on screen and on the front line, fighting against racism and exclusion. In this interview, we discuss the power and importance of activism, as well as her own work for years to take down the racist Mississippi state flag, which incorporated the Confederate battle flag in its design.

This article discusses the show "Love Type Beat," which was directed and produced by two Black women, and its immersive approach to theatermaking. Broadly, the article argues that Princeton University should better support Black theater.

This article covers East African Elementary School, the first school in the United States centered on East African cultures and languages. The school, which recently opened in September 2023, offers students in the community an education that most U.S. schools do not provide: one teaching cultures, traditions, and histories from the African diaspora. I wrote and created the cover graphic for this piece.

In collaboration with the Reading Captains Initiative, Global Citizen hosts summer events to provide families with young children in Philadelphia with resources on literacy. Nikki Johnson, former Miss Pennsylvania Universe, attended one of the events, and afterwards, I interviewed her on her struggle with homelessness and how being an avid reader helped her succeed.