Firstly, because this is the narrative and people group God has placed me in and called me to. Second, after years of performing and interacting in a variety of spaces, if blackness is not celebrated it is tolerated through subtle anti-black sentiments. The music and movement will not follow suit.

My story includes the fracture of a close family member that suffers from mental illness. Within my community it is common to stigmatize and ostracize this topic, so the sounds will always create authentic conversations of my own struggles and those around me.

My faith in Jesus is the filter through which all values, decisions, and visions are curated. I have decided to be forthright about my convictions in hopes to lock arms with other faith communities that seek to uplift the former two values of blackness and mental health - two areas that often cause tension in Christian spaces.