Hours after discovering my husband’s affair and that his secretary was pregnant, I had to step onto center court and sing the National Anthem in front of a live audience. With my heart completely shattered, I learned one of the hardest truths: real peace isn’t found by avoiding pain , it’s found by going straight through it.

I didn't begin voting until I was in my early thirties. As a television journalist, I believed my responsibility was to report the news impartially. But everything changed when I began portraying extraordinary women whose lives taught me why voting matters—not just as a right, but as a sacred responsibility. From Fannie Lou Hamer's courage to Zora Neale Hurston's independence, these women showed me that freedom requires participation. Here's my journey to understanding why vo

here are stories that entertain us. And then there are two books that awaken us. Inspired by my one-woman show on Zora Neale Hurston, The Zora Collection brings you two powerful books: When Zora Spoke, I Remembered My Name and When Zora Spoke, Finding Courage, Voice & Healing. These two books will guide you to rediscover your identity, reclaim your voice, and walk boldly in your divine purpose. Together for only $34.99 (save $5), and a portion of every purchase helps restore

I stood on stage as Anna Murray Douglass, listening to my husband ask one of history's most powerful questions: "What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?" More than 170 years later, as America approaches its 250th anniversary, this question about freedom and equality remains unfinished business. Here's why that matters—and what it demands of us now.

Recently, my brother shared a story our father never told us. As a young boy in the Jim Crow South, my father was forced to ride on the hood of a speeding car while white men tried to make him let go. He held on for dear life. If he hadn't survived that day, I would not be here. This is the story of Black fathers' legacy: the silent sacrifices, untold pain, and extraordinary courage that became the foundation of our freedom.

When Performance Becomes Personal: The Weight of Grief As I prepared for the second half of the show, I knew I was stepping into grief. Not just performing it, but entering it. There is a moment in the story where I speak about sitting beside my daughter's bed while she is in a coma. Waiting. Watching. Listening to the rhythm of machines keeping her alive. And then the moment comes when those machines are turned off. We never see Shelby die on stage. But we feel it. Every

I know the journey to emotional peace is not a straight path. It twists, turns, and sometimes feels like a maze with no exit. But I promise you, it is possible. I have walked this path myself, and I want to share the steps that helped me find balance and calm in the chaos. This is about more than just quiet moments; it’s about transforming your entire life. Understanding What Achieving Emotional Peace Really Means Emotional peace is not about avoiding problems or pretending e

Recently, a middle school student asked if I was born in 1891. For a moment, he believed he had truly met Zora Neale Hurston. That's the transformative power of youth empowerment through storytelling, when young people see themselves in the stories of those who overcame impossible odds, they begin to believe their own story matters too. Here's why sponsoring just one student to experience living history could change everything.

Each night I step onto the stage as M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias, I'm reminded of a powerful truth about women supporting women: behind every movement, every community, every moment in history, there is a circle of women quietly holding each other together. From Mrs. Jackie Jackson's dignified presence at Rev. Jesse Jackson's funeral to Vice President Kamala Harris standing among presidents, the power of women supporting women remains our greatest untold strength.

What do you do with a grief that has no grave? Pamela D. Marshall did something most women never dare — she named it. This is the story of what she named the child she never had, and how that truth became the beginning of everything.

I planned a wedding in three days! No, the bride wasn't about to deliver a baby, and the groom wasn't heading to war. The bride and groom were my baby brother, Reginald, and my soon-to-be baby sister, Sheena. Officiating my first wedding ceremony, my baby brother Reginald and his bride Sheena The Story Behind it All They are farmers, souls of the earth. People who understand planting, patience, and harvest. Sheena didn’t want the stress of planning an event. Her desire was si

Discover the liberating power of love without expectations: Pause for stillness, release the pain of unmet demands, and embrace unconditional loving through personal reflections, a poignant poem, and gentle acceptance practices for true inner peace.

Imagine wishing you could buy someone a tiny home, just to give them shelter from the streets. That's how I felt about Amy, a gentle soul I've known for over a decade. Her story isn't just heartbreaking; it's a wake-up call to our shared humanity. And here's the twist: this homeless woman loves Zora Neale Hurston with a passion that rivals any literary scholar. It all started on a spring morning at Depot Park in Gainesville. I was out for a 5K run when I spotted her splashing

When Strength and Grace Carried Me Through We are not alone. Strength arrived when exhaustion said, “Sit down.” Grace whispered, “Stand up.” The show had to go on, and it did. There was a set to build, a book table to decorate and prepare, and a story waiting to be told. Since December, the flu virus had left my body drained. Being tired or afraid of being tired had not been an option. The Tuesday before the Friday night Zora Neale Hurston performance , I finally surrendered

In the weeks following December 29th, my world had grown very small. I had been home with what I came to call the flu 5.0, a virus that settled into my body, clouded my thinking, and drained my strength in ways I wasn’t prepared for. Some days the brain fog was so thick I had to read the same paragraph again and again, determined not to let the words slip away from me. Other days, simply standing up felt like a decision that required negotiation. In the midst of that healing

After reading Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon, something inside me shifted. I realized the most important Black History I can celebrate is me. I Am Black History because I carry the DNA of survivors — men, women, and children who walked 200 miles barefoot in chains, survived the horrors of the barracoon, and endured the Middle Passage where up to 15% never made it. My DNA was packed like cargo into the belly of ships. It arrived on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, only to f

Celebrate Zora Neale Hurston legacy: Reflections on her grave, restoring her home, acceptance practices, and free events for peace and resilience. Join the journey thru gratitude and healing.

Every person walking this earth can trace their existence back to one truth: You are here because of a woman. Yet despite this undeniable fact, societies around the world continue to deny, diminish, and distort the divine authority embodied by women. We celebrate milestones like America’s first woman Vice President, Kamala Harris, even as we continue debating whether a woman has the right to govern her own body—a body designed by nature to sustain life, to nourish it, and to

Forgiveness is not weakness.Forgiveness is not surrender.Forgiveness is the greatest gift we can offer—to others and to ourselves. It is a healing, cleansing, heart-opening practice that frees us from emotional captivity and reconnects us to love. I learned this lesson—again—recently when I reached out to someone who had stopped speaking to me. Okay… let me be honest.It was my brother.(And no, I won’t call any names—but he does have dimples.) The last time he acknowledged

Enlarged Territory Through Forgiveness. Spherical Peace Through Equanimity. As we enter 2025, my gift to you is simple—yet life-altering: an expanded life through Forgiveness, and a peaceful soul through Equanimity. This is not a cliché New Year’s wish. It is a spiritual offering born from my own journey—one filled with missed deadlines, unexpected delays, emotional growing pains, and divine lessons I didn’t ask for… but desperately needed. The Art of Forgiveness: A Journey T