The following piece is reprinted from Duke Baldwin Scholars’ July 2021 newsletter.
Major: Psychology
Sometimes people hear “social worker” and rely on narrow narratives to picture what a day in my work life looks like. Many are pleasantly surprised to learn that social workers are everywhere!
Right now, I am a social worker working in digital media. As an Associate Editor for the Black Information Network at iHeartMedia, I have an awesome opportunity to integrate my social work skills with writing — an activity that used to just be a hobby/calling for me.
Prior to joining BIN last October, I got together with friends who’d also moved back home to Athens, Georgia amid the pandemic and started serving our hometown community. We organized pop-up COVID-19 testing sites, supported voter registration efforts, and got to meet with community leaders about the challenges and growth of our cherished home. That work was both exciting and fulfilling because I got to implement all previous work experience and leadership roles to be a part of a group handling real social issues in real time.
I try to bring that same energy to my work at the Black Information Network. Our dynamic team all works together to develop a platform where the Black experience is centered and comes first. Telling news stories that might get missed by other outlets, spotlighting our legends and legends-in-the-making, bringing dignity into our storytelling, all of that makes me excited about my work. In a time such as this, our truth really does matter.