I grew up on the north side of St. Louis, Missouri. I noticed how we rarely saw any reporters unless there was a shooting, fire, or car crash.
I went to high school in this up-and-coming neighborhood called the Central West End. My school got lots of coverage for our college-prep success. The new stores moving onto every corner around my school also got lots of coverage. When a gas-station robbery happened on the northwest corner, the locator was not "Central West End". It was "North St. Louis".
I was mad. I was done. I stopped wanting to be a doctor. I wanted to be a journalist.
My mom still wanted me to be a doctor.
So, I majored in biology at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. But, I snuck in a mass communications major. When I finally followed my heart (read, changed my major), I graduated with a degree that let me tell stories from marginalized people while allowing them the dignity they deserve.
I often hear journalists are bad at math and that most people don't need their school science lessons. I don't know what they are talking about. I have a minor in mathematics. I was in a high-school internship in neurology and immunology at Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine. I was also in a college physics internship at Baylor University. Many people are facing life-threatening, chronic, and painful diseases. Those internships gave me the vocabulary to inform and not mislead.
Before the pandemic started, had live guests on a show I hosted. I was dunk-tanked, tackled by female football players, and stuffed with lots of food. But, community leaders who were tackling gun violence and disease wanted coverage too. My challenge was make the show fun. But, I also had to communicate their mission and remember the people who were lost. We figured out lots of ways to show the community how they can help and have fun at the same time. I knew I met that challenge when I had to change clothes after the show.
When the pandemic started, we did the same thing. We just did it over Skype.
It also helps that I worked with my heroes, joined the National Association of Black Journalists, and am a member of the Radio Television Digital News Association. Staying plugged in helps me cover our community's problems and solution makers.
Mom wanted me to be a doctor. I wanted to be a journalist. She's happy.
It looks like it all worked out.
