A few months ago, a friend reached out to me and asked me to meet with a woman was thinking about starting a blog and was interested in writing. The woman's name was Nneka. So, of course, Nneka and I met for coffee. We met during the period of time when I was thinking about quitting Uncommon. Nneka's skills, passion, and brilliance reminded me why I do what I do.

The original goal of our meet up was for me to share with Nneka my divine wisdom, skills, and experience.* I immediately knew that was a farce. She was wiser and better connected than I. I told her I had read her blog and loved her writing.

We talked about her goals and ideas. Nneka wanted to address the lack of representation of black women on television both in front of and behind the camera. We talked about how racist and sexist the art community and media can be. We talked about how black women are often overlooked, discredited, and/or not properly compensated. She encouraged me to primarily focus my work on people of color, with a heavy emphasis on women of color. I listened. After the initial meet up, Nneka and I connected a few more times before her move to New York to pursue bigger things.

As I reflect on the brief time Nneka and I worked together, I smile thinking about how I got to witness her work and influence grow. She is a great writer and thinker. I am proud to know her.