First and pen!

Writing for First and Pen has been a true gift. First and Pen (https://firstandpen.com/) aims to amplify voices of color to the national consciousness by giving us a platform to talk about the sports and cultural issues that we care about. When I was first approached by Yussuf Khan to be a featured writer for the website I was beyond ecstatic. Having worked with Yussuf on a few posts with the Shadow League I already knew that he was a great editor, who was willing the chance to work with someone new to the world of freelance (me) and help them grow as a writer.

For the past few months, I have seen my writing grow with the website and in general. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect opportunity especially as I am in the process of working on my first book project. It is my hope that my book will reach an audience beyond academia, and interest those who care about the intersections of race, gender, sport, and society more broadly—issues that I am fortunate enough to tackle with my writing for First and Pen each month.

My first article with First and Pen was a feature on Olympic hopeful Mytisque Ro who was training to make the Team US for skeleton—a read that you must check out if winter sports are your thing as this young woman’s story is one for the books. Since then, I have covered issues from the policing of Black sportswomen bodies for being excellent (re: Simone Biles), as well as the politics of Black hair (re: the Soul Cap controversy). In the weeks to come I will likely have a lot to say regarding the 2020/21 Summer Olympic Games, so be on the lookout for my freelance work at First and Pen, and continued updates on my book here on my personal website’s blog!

Cheers!