Although I am only 5’1” and can barely reach my kitchen cabinets, I am still gonna reach for them stars! My story begins in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where I was born and raised with my mother’s traditional Black American values and a touch of my father's Jamaican and British flair. My childhood was family reunion cookouts in my grandma’s back yard, Sunday church, drinking all kinds of tea, and the smell of dettol (cleaning/hygiene liquid that Caribbeans love.) Also, I was homeschooled all the way through high school. Hehe bet you didn't see that one coming!
The flexible schedule of home schooling allowed me to spend many a Friday afternoon seeing productions at the Kennedy Center or hanging out in the National Gallery of Art. I vividly remember wanting to test out musical theatre for myself, so I made my way into a community theatre production of Mary Poppins and never looked back. I even have a little umbrella tattoo as a reminder of where I started. I always felt that I had something to offer the stage, especially as a person of color. Over the years, I realized there was nothing I wanted to do more than keep making theatre to the best of my ability. That desire led me to pursue a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre at Point Park University. Shortly after graduating, I moved to NYC to continue steeping myself in the arts. Being a small part of a team that successfully joins forces to inspire, captivate, and move audiences is my biggest motivator to continue down this path, and who knows, maybe our paths will cross!
You've heard it countless times, and I'm gonna say it again for the people in the back - representation matters! It is imperative for ALL OF SOCIETY, not just young children, to continue to see people of all different backgrounds in a plethora of lights. Each of us, regardless of age, class, gender, or race should be exposed to people similar to us and very different from ourselves. How can we strive to better understand our world and the people in it when the majority of us do not interact with individuals outside of our own communities in daily life. The theatre, in all her forms, has always been a place dedicated to expanding the minds of audiences. Even in the social media age, we lack perspective due to insufficient and highly skewed exposure. I believe exposure begins with representation! As a Black actor, I am serving as one of many small bridges to understanding one another for a better today and tomorrow.
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