A feature on Forever Free & the Illiteracy Playbook, a documentary by Cortland Jones, Dion Johnson, and Shauna F. King that examines America’s literacy crisis, its roots in systemic oppression, and the urgent need for community-led solutions in Black and urban communities.

In the aftermath of numerous unjust deaths of Black men at the hands of white officers, Du Bois’s life’s work is a blueprint for this generation’s needed mindset. Though laws have changed, racism is still sewn into the powers that be. With this film, Coburn aims to evoke a spirit of courageand activism and to incite citizens to join the movement. Or, better yet, to start one.

The past year required me to slow down, surrender, and become someone new. Through motherhood, faith, and learning to move at a different pace, I discovered what it truly means to let go, trust God, and lead with intention. This is a reflection on where I’ve been — and who I’m becoming.