It was a few weeks before the world shut down, and none of us knew what the hell COVID-19 was. I was writing a story about plantation weddings, more specifically, how wedding planning websites like The Knot and Pinterest banned searches and planning of them. A nontraditional college student, a little older than my peers, already a wife and a mom, I was just hired at my university's magazine. I was destined to prove myself but even more enthusiastic about reporting the story. I remember my gumption and audacity when I, only a sophomore at the time, called Boone Hall plantation, the plantation where Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively tied the knot, for a quote. Surprisingly, I got one! I went on to interview historians, people pro-plantation weddings, and anti-them. I wrote a solid story, I was proud, and then the magazine went to print.

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When I flipped through the glossy pages to find my work, it wasn't there. My editor-in-chief said she forgot to add it. I was devastated, rightfully so. I was offered by the editor-in-chief the opportunity to publish my story by itself for an exclusive, never-before-done Juneteenth edition. I politely declined and resigned my position. Instead, I published the article on my blog, The Christian Way. My story, about plantation weddings and what happened to me, resonated with others. So much so, a more established writer gave me a shot at a REAL publication, the Outdoor Retailer magazine.

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I was asked to write a short piece about Black hikers taking up space and challenging the stigma on Black people outdoors. My deadline was Thursday and because of the fast turnaround, quotes weren't required. I got them anyway, and I finished the piece and had it to the editor by Wednesday. I got paid for the first time and got an even bigger byline than do-eyed, sophomore me could fathom.

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That experience taught me a few things that I've carried in my writerly career: Black writers matter, paying writers for their work is a necessity, I can get a quote no matter the circumstance, and I've never met a deadline I couldn't meet.

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