My creative journey began with powerful, emotional attachments to my past – my family, my childhood, my beginnings. As a child directing friends in dramatic recreations, I discovered storytelling as both refuge and revolution.

 

Born in Atlanta, GA, I was blessed to grow up surrounded by history and culture, though my father's work as a traveling salesman uprooted us frequently. These migrations became my education, exposing me to diverse cultures and worldviews that would later inform every frame I'd capture and every story I'd tell. My work has always been driven by the urgency of how the world perceives and misperceives communities of color, particularly in our current moment of both digital democratization and algorithmic bias.

 

I recognize myself as an instrument of the universe and collective healing, using storytelling to illuminate the full spectrum of human experience in an era where authentic representation has never been more critical – or more contested.

 

After earning my Bachelor of Arts Degree from Georgia State University in 1992, I entered the film industry during what felt like a renaissance for Black filmmakers. I founded my own production company – among the first in the South owned and operated by Black women – because even then, I understood that ownership of narrative meant freedom and power.

 

Film, television, and now digital media continue to shape not just how we see ourselves, but how algorithms decide who gets seen at all. As a Black woman, I still search for authentic reflections of myself across all screens – from Netflix to TikTok to virtual reality. My mission has evolved from simply examining Black representation to actively disrupting systems that tokenize, flatten, or erase our stories. This work now extends beyond traditional media into emerging platforms where new gatekeepers are now emboldened. 

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I take pride in launching three full-service film production companies that served as launchpads for Black artists and independent voices. These ventures weren't just businesses – they were acts of resistance, creating infrastructure where none existed and proving that our stories could be both profitable and transformative.

 

Music remains the soundtrack of life, the frequency that connects us across differences. My earliest memory is the song Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" – I became aware of myself in this world, hearing music around me. How fitting that my film production career began in music video. 

 

As a Creative and Scholar, my voice speaks from an intersectional perspective that has become even more essential as we navigate AI-generated content, deepfakes, and platforms where authenticity battles artificiality daily. My sensitivity to the human condition drives me toward projects that don't just entertain but actively educate and inform,  countering the dehumanizing forces of our digital age.

 

I do whatever it takes to shepherd meaningful work into existence. My "stumble" into producing was really a recognition that creative survival requires entrepreneurial thinking, especially for those of us whose stories exist outside industry comfort zones.

 

In this moment of global reckoning and technological transformation, I draw inspiration from Jean-Luc Godard's formal rebellion, bell hooks' intersectional wisdom, Mira Nair's cultural bridging, Gordon Parks' activist lens, Deepa Mehta's fearless storytelling, and Maryam Malakpour's contemporary vision. Their work reminds me that every image is political and every story is an argument for how the world should be.

 

Today, I create with the knowledge that our stories don't just reflect reality – they shape it. In classrooms and on sets, through pixels and on platforms, I work to ensure that the future of media is as beautifully complex as the communities we serve.

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