Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheryl Mallory-Johnson.
Hi Sheryl, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2019, I founded the 1619 National Celebration of Black Women, along with co-founders Alyce Pipkin-Allen, Alice Kennedy, Jacquelyn Sherman-Rustin, Cynthia Keeve, and Paula Owens, celebrating the 400-year commemoration since the first African captives arrived at the shores of Virginia in the year 1619,
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Founding 1619NCBW was a profound and emotionally charged endeavor. At that crucial moment in American history, I understood the significance of publicly acknowledging the essential role women of African descent played in the formation and success of the country.
Too often, Black women have been erased from the history books and discourse of civil liberties, relegated to the back of the line or kitchen duty. When if not for their extraordinary contributions and sacrifices, I couldn’t walk with strength and purpose today.
Learning about the 246-year struggle for freedom for Black women and girls took an emotional toll on me. This struggle included my grandmothers, who were undoubtedly enslaved at some point in American history.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a Psychotherapist, I hold a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Texas Southern University and a Master’s in Social Work from San Diego State University.
My passion for humanity fuels my storytelling. To date, I have published five novels and am currently wrapping the third installment of my “Hand Series” trilogy. I enjoy crafting narratives that not only spark meaningful conversations, but also challenge prevailing worldviews.
In 2022, I adapted Sense of Love, a novel, for stage. Directed by Yolanda M. Franklin, Sense of Love play debuted at the La Jolla Playhouse, Mandell Weiss Forum.
I expanded my credentials by becoming a producer and filmmaker, establishing Twenty-Odd Production, LLC. I am currently in post-production of my first documentary,
I am most proud of feeling the fear and doing it anyway!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I have many favorite childhood memories, but my most vivid one is walking to school with my friends, which was always an adventure.
Contact Info:
- Website: Sherylmallory-johnson.com | www.1619nationalcelebrationofblackwomen.com/ | twentyoddproduction.com
- Instagram: 1619NCBW
- Facebook: Sherylmallory-johnson, 1619NCBW
Image Credits
Michael Kemp Photography
