From Unemployment to Ecosystem Architect: My Transformation

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(Or, How I Accidentally Built an Ecosystem)

Let’s be real for a second. If you had told me a year ago that I would be here, confidently calling myself a public historian, creating an entire ecosystem for my work, and getting engagement on NextDoor of all places, I would have told you to “pass that.”

Seriously, Wednesday’s post on CRT (Critical Race Theory) and my experience with the NextDoor app in Albany? It’s currently sitting at 327 views and counting. The comments section in Oakland actually lit up in support of my research. On NextDoor. That was definitely not on my 2025 Bingo Card.

But here we are. And I want to talk about how we got here, not to brag—okay, maybe a little, I’m keeping it a solid 67—but because I want this for you, too.

From “Unemployed” to “Ecosystem Architect”

I am writing this specifically for the unemployed, the underemployed, and the formerly idealistic folks who are tired of the grind. I want you to know that diving into your passion project isn’t just a hobby; it can be a lifeline.

I went from being too scared to even whisper the word “artist” to not only boldly declaring it but staking my claim in the field of public history. My passion didn’t just fill my time; it manifested my purpose.

And the clarity? It’s alarming. This week, I finally settled on the time periods and categories for my narrative literature review. Suddenly, I feel like a brilliantly aimed laser. That focus is spilling over into everything—my writing, my research, and my audacity.

Welcome to the AFROXpress

At the beginning of the week, I was merely flirting with the idea of a podcast. “I don’t have the time,” I said. “I don’t have the mic,” I said. But as I looked at the blogs, the socials, and the newsletter, I realized I wasn’t just doing a creative project about Black women. I was building an ecosystem for my identity.

AFROXpress has emerged as the umbrella.

It started as just a newsletter name. Now? It’s the podcast, the newsletter, and the incubation brand that will house as many projects as it can fund. It is the ultimate homage to the freedom earned on the Underground Railroad and the mode of transport into a liberated AFROFuture.

I’m tired of just discussing intersectionality. What are we going to do about it? AFROXpress is what I am doing about it.

I want to talk about digital sharecropping (stay tuned for Episode 2). We are so used to tilling the soil of these platforms for free, disconnecting our spending from our values, and wondering why we feel spiritually broke. The economy is designed to make us feel like building our own thing is impossible. It controls our emotional and physical well-being.

I am laying track to suggest another way. Not necessarily a “better” way, just a different one. An ambitious-as-hell future where we are liberated from white and patriarchal fragility. I’m laying track for the next 250 years.

The Receipts (Small Potatoes, Big Flavor)

For those of you who like numbers, here is what “trusting the process” actually looks like on paper.

Blog Views (2025):

• Jan: 9 (Humble beginnings, folks)
• Feb: 7
• Mar: 74 (Started posting on socials)
• Oct: 375
• Nov 20: 766 and climbing.

Totals:

• 70 project blogs published.
• 26 subscribers (6 subscribers in the past 24 hours!).
• $20,000 raised from an idea that came out of my head.

Is this “viral” in the big wide world? No. But to me? It’s pretty dang impressive. There could be a big fat zero in each category because I didn’t even try.

What’s Coming Down the Track

I’m not slowing down. Here is what is happening right now:

1. Partnering Up: I have started conversations with the Underground Railroad Education Center and Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY about an immersive performance at the Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence in Albany for Spring 2026. This is happening.
2. Get in the Room: I have two online Labor Pains sessions coming up. I’m inviting Black women from Albany and Oakland to join these intimate co-construction sessions. We will share labor stories, and I will construct live body-maps based on the energy in the virtual room.
   • Session 1: Nov 22 @ 12pm PST / 3pm EST
   • Session 2: Nov 29 @ 1pm PST / 4pm EST

If you are sitting on a brilliant idea burning inside your skin, let this be your sign. The resources might look scarce, and the economy might look scary, but the track is waiting for you to lay it.

See you on the AFROXpress.