Happy Black History Month!

Hey, Fam. If you’ve been following me, you know January was a rough month for us here in LA.

Felt like wave after wave of terribleness kept pounding us down on all fronts, environmentally and politically. And I, for one, was having the hardest time remembering to breathe.

But this weekend — thanks to news that the Eaton Fire is now 100% contained, and the WGAw Committee of Black Writers — I dragged myself out to the California African American Museum for a private tour of the George Washington Carver Project and a mixer at the rooftop restaurant, Lost, owned by Black, South LA natives , and creator-actress, Issa Rae.

Learning the fullness of who GWC was as an artist, inventor and agriculturist was not only inspiring, but also a necessary reminder that Black folks have ALWAYS created in the face of adversity to make something out of nothing.

And then, gaining this insight with a group of Black WGA TV and Film writers together was the hopeful icing on the pound cake.

Fam, I can’t tell you how much it did my heart good to meet other Black storytellers striving. Aside from Tamiko, one of my best friends of nearly 30 years and Jessica, who I met on the strike line in ’23, most of them were strangers to me.

But there was one face in the crowd, who looked familiar — Tony nominated playwright, TV writer actress, Dominique Morisseau.

A sister Daughter of Detroit, I’ve admired her work for years, and after I initially thought it wasn’t her, we found ourselves in the same space and struck up a conversation.

And what a great convo it was. Like play cousins catching up, it ranged from caring for aging parents, personal summers (hot flashes, for those who are blessed not to know. 😄) and her goals to keep using her platform to help empower the Detroit artistic and overall community. (In fact, Dominique personally did this for me without even realizing it. You can read about it here: https://monicemitchellsimms.com/2024/01/29/gratefulness-is/)

What a great way to start Black History Month, Fam! Not only was connecting with Dominique a blessing, but our conversation also provided another reminder —

Yes, DEI programs, our art and even our entire culture as Black people are under attack. But like George Washington Carver, and so many of our ancestors that paved the way before us, we’re inventors, creators and innovators.

It’s what we’ve always done.

It’s what we’ll always do.

We just have to remember that hope always rebounds and we’re stronger together.