What kind of world do you want to build?
I am a Black woman scholar, birthworker, teacher, and consultant forging new worlds, big and small, in community with like-minded people. I center compassion, truth, connection and justice in all of my work because I believe that how we do our work is as important as what we do.
My philosophy of living is that how we practice our everyday lives—how we treat all people, what we prioritize in our day-to-day activities, how we manifest our values—is what builds the world around us. When the world is out of balance, as it is now, it is because many of us are practicing out of fear, greed, and disconnection. The good news is that we can change the way we move in the world—and the balance of the world—at any time by changing our practices. Connection, truth, compassion and justice are not just abstract values, but practices we can commit to on a daily basis in big and small ways. This philosophy, rooted in Black feminist wisdom and activism, manifests across the variety of roles I play and skills I offer.
As a birthworker who has also been a birthing person, I care deeply about reproductive and birth justice, especially for those who experience deep marginalization in the medical industry in the United States. As a birth doula, I support my clients by providing well-researched resources, regular check-ins, physical and emotional support, and advocacy as they and their loved ones navigate this monumental transition. My doula practice is open to all birthing people of all races, genders, sexualities and abilities. I am completing my certification through DONA, but have also attended training through SMC Full Spectrum that focuses specifically on the needs of Black communities.
As a scholar I am trained as a Ph.D in Africana Studies, with intellectual expertise in 20th century Black history, politics and culture, Black feminist theory, Black space and placemaking, and contemporary Black popular culture. My methods include textual and narrative analysis, ethnographic interviews, and archival and historical research. I am a skilled and engaging speaker and workshop facilitator, and can provide both standard and custom lectures and workshops for your organization. I work on a sliding scale, with special pricing for HBCUs, MSIs, and graduate student organizations.
As a teacher, I have nearly a decade of college-level teaching experience in Black Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. In my classrooms, we navigate challenging and difficult conversations with courage, grace and curiosity. I have built syllabi from scratch on topics such as Black popular culture, Black feminist thought, African American Studies, and Black queer theory. My courses are intentionally interdisciplinary, drawing from work and methods across the humanities and social sciences, and are always rooted in a strong historical background. I am skilled at designing manageable workloads, facilitating high stakes discussions, creating useful learning activities, and building critical thinking skills.
As a consultant, I am available to help guide, strategize with, or support you or your organization at any point you want to think about how to practice your values with the goal of world-building. I utilize my other skills and roles as a consultant, and provide a supportive, constructive, truthful and compassionate experience for people and organizations looking to make meaningful change in their workplace culture, workflow, or discussions around sensitive and difficult topics. I offer a wide range of services, including one-time talks and workshops, strategic planning support, consultation on inclusive culture and policy, and even curriculum design for those interested in long-term workplace education and alignment.
Download Academic CV HERE
Download Professional RESUME HERE