Film/Television

As a student of history and someone who really values family legacy stories told by older relatives, the proverb that really defines how I view my place in this world is "you never know where you're going unless you know where you came from." As a Black woman raised on the Southside of Chicago, I have always been raised to never forget my heritage. I was constantly reminded that I come from people who fought and died for my right to live and that when I got older the same fight was expected of me. My family's history has roots in slavery, a house on the cotton fields of Georgia with night visits from the KKK, a room that housed 8 in the projects of Chicago, and finally a house in a cushy middle-class suburb. Through it all, my family stuck it out because they looked to the future with hope that it would be a better place for their children. My family's story parallels that of millions of Black families in the US who have persevered and endured despite adversity. Despite what the mainstream media has to say or what science has "proven", Black families are still in tact and history will show that that is the common denominator from slavery all the way through modern day. Black is beautiful because of its strength to live on and its love to give.