My Journey: Rewriting the Script
I was born in the '80s—a time when the world was changing, but some things stayed the same. I grew up in a unique neighborhood, tucked away in the rich suburbs of Lawrence Township, NJ, just outside Princeton University. On the surface, it looked like we had it all. My cousins and I had access to an amazing education, but behind the doors of our homes, we faced the same struggles as any Black family trying to make it in America. We were smart, articulate, and driven, but the road wasn’t paved for us. We had to find our own way.
Fast forward to adulthood—I became a professional, a mother, and eventually, a single mother. No mentors. No support. Just me, trying to navigate a system that wasn’t built for me, all while raising two kids and trying to build something of my own. The stress, the exhaustion, the loneliness—it was real. I missed work often. I felt like I was drowning. And for the longest time, I thought that was just life.
But then something shifted. I woke up.