She recently published a memoir, The Mother of Black Hollywood. The title derives itself from her career being spent playing everyone's mother on television and in movies. When I first purchased my ticket, I thought the evening would be lighthearted and fun. But it turned out to be one of the most profound and inspiring nights of my life. She talked about living with bipolar disorder and being manic-depressive for 33 years. She talked about the man who she dated and who conned her out of thousands of dollars. She talked about the sexual assault she's experienced as a black woman in Hollywood.
She was so incredibly engaging with her audience, and people were sharing parts of themselves they said they've never shared before. It was so powerful to see her connect with her audience and to create healing and bonding with the people around her. I left that night feeling so inspired.
Her ability to answer our questions without missing a beat and delivering them with such grace, eloquence, and command impressed me the most that night. The audience was in awe over every word that poured from her mouth. At the end of the evening I got to take a photo with her, and got a signed copy of her new book, which I can't wait to read.
She, along with one of my best friends, have recently inspired me to start journaling again. She repeatedly told us that night that if we wanted to heal, we needed to write, and we needed to share our truths with others. I started writing in my journal again a few days ago, and already I can feel the soothing power of expressing myself via words. I recommend it to everyone. Thank you Jenifer for inspiring me so much, and I can't wait to see you at your encore performance!
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