A big part of my job is uncovering employee stories and bringing them to life through media. I see first-hand the power of representation and how diversity, equity and inclusion impact lives as well as contributes to a company’s culture. 

This Black History Month, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about the role of representation in media and the impact it’s had on my career personally. 

I knew at a young age that I wanted to be a journalist. I was drawn to storytelling and the responsibility journalists had to inform the public on the world we live in. However, my dream of being a news anchor dwindled because I did not see any news reporters who looked like me on television. I often wondered if my reality of seeing a Black woman reporter, wearing her natural hair was even possible. Then I realized that I can be the change that I want to see, and I have never looked back.

I received my Bachelors and Master’s in journalism, and I was a cultural beat reporter for my University’s newspaper. In 2021, I created a documentary on Black hair. 

While my dream of being a news anchor didn’t quite happen (yet! Who knows where life will take me), my dream of being a black woman in media did. Here at Stories, I get to uncover and share stories like these that help create equity in our workplaces and in our world.

LexisNexis Working to Eliminate Systemic Racism 

In 2021, LexisNexis Legal & Professional launched their LexisNexis African Ancestry Rule of Law program in efforts to eliminate systemic racism in legal systems. The program was created in partnership with Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) schools to work on projects they propose to end systemic racism. 

I had the opportunity to work on two projects that highlight the stories of members of this program. The first, shared below, uncovered stories that brought LexisNexis’ “10-Year Plan to the Bar” program to life. This program works to overcome racial and economic barriers for HBCU students getting to the BAR exam. 

In addition to the 10-Year Plan to the Bar, Stories Inc. also uncovered stories that brought the Stranger Fruit” program to life, which works to address systematic racism and the U.S. Capital Punishment System. In this video, storytellers were able to share their observations about the capital punishment system gained through law class and their motivation to inspire future Black lawyers.

I am honored to have overseen both of these storytelling projects. By sharing these stories, we not only raised awareness for this important issue, but also helped share the stories of Black lawyers. I am proud that by becoming the Black woman in the media I always wanted to be, I might be able to help a future Black lawyer connect with a fulfilling career.

Amplifying Black Voices in February and All Year Long

I hope my story serves as a reminder of the impact we can have as culture communicators to drive representation and inclusion in the workplace and in our world. While Black History Month has come to an end, let this be a call to action to amplify diverse voices and tackle the hard problems the other 11 months of the year, too.