Hey Sis,

Let’s have a real conversation, just you and me.

Sometimes, when you look at someone who has achieved a certain level of success—someone who wears a black robe and sits on a judicial bench—it is easy to assume they had a smooth, paved highway to get there. You might think, “That’s for them, but not for a girl like me.”

I’m here to tell you that is simply not true.

My story didn't start in a pristine, high-rise corporate office. It started in Frayser. Growing up in North Memphis, I walked the same neighborhood streets, attended local public schools, and went on to graduate from Memphis Central (THE) High School. Frayser is a beautiful, vibrant place, but like many of our communities, it is also a place where you have to learn resilience early.

There were times when people tried to put a ceiling on my potential based solely on where I came from. Have you ever felt that? Have you ever had someone look at your ZIP code, your background, or your family circumstances and make a silent assumption about how far you could go?

Here is my first piece of mentor-coach advice for you: Your roots are not an anchor holding you down; they are the foundation keeping you steady as you rise.

When I was a young girl, my mother struggled with Multiple Sclerosis. Watching her navigate a world that wasn't always kind or accessible to her—and watching her deal with legal and medical systems that didn't listen to her—sparked something inside me. It didn't defeat me; it gave me my "Why." It made me realize that our lived experiences, especially the hard ones, are actually our greatest superpowers.

Because I grew up where I did, and because I lived through those struggles, I developed an authentic empathy that you cannot learn from a textbook. When I attended Rhodes College and later the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, I wasn't trying to leave my community behind. I was gathering the tools to bring back to it.

When you step into your greatness, you must carry your story with you. Never let anyone make you feel like you have to erase where you are from to fit into the rooms you are entering. The grit, the determination, the community, and the love that shaped you are the exact qualities that will make you a formidable leader.

For nearly ten years, I have served this community as a Magistrate. Every single day, I sit on that bench and look at the people who come before me. Because of where I am from, I don't see case numbers—I see neighbors. I see families. I see people who deserve to be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect. My background didn’t hold me back from the judiciary; it is the very thing that made me a better, more compassionate judicial officer.

We need leaders who are rooted in the communities they serve. As I run for Judge of General Sessions Civil Court Division 2, I am running as a proud daughter of Memphis who has proven that where you start does not dictate where you finish.

So, sis, write down your story today. Own it. Be proud of it. And use it to rise.

Mentor Tip: Take five minutes today to write down three things your background or community has taught you about survival, strength, or compassion. Those are your superpowers.

If you believe in leadership that is deeply rooted in our community and proven by years of dedicated service, I need your partnership. Let’s bring this vision of respectful, empathetic justice to the General Sessions bench.

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