Hi, I’m Jesse!

In the spirit of transparency, this “About Me” section gave me a lot of anxiety to write. I’m really skilled at hyping others up, but I get uncomfortable when the attention turns towards me. So please bear with me as I share some pieces of my heart with you.

I’m a Biracial (aka Mixt) Black, Aries sun, Libra moon, Virgo rising, woman (she/her). I’m a daughter, wife, sister, bulldog mama and forever friend. I’m a highly sensitive person in progress. And in May 2021, I received my doctorate of clinical psychology (PsyD) from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

I began my graduate program in 2016 - in the midst of 45’s presidential election - an incredibly tumultuous, confusing, significant period of time in our country. As a Biracial woman studying clinical psychology in the heart of our nation's capital, it was impossible for me to separate the political from the personal.

Spoiler alert: we live in a society that was founded on and rooted in racial inequalities. Research shows that children as young as three are aware of racial features, and our racial identities — both consciously and unconsciously — play a huge role throughout our lives. Yet, there appears to be a large void in conversations around the complexity of race and identification outside of a binary, overly generalized classification model.

In the field of clinical psychology that emphasizes one’s expansiveness and variability, when discussing racial material, therapists are trained to minimize, avoid, and stay in a comfortable intellectual zone. Countless psychology theories teach us that in order to grow, we must be willing to step outside of our comfort zones; to challenge our belief systems, deepen our connections to ourselves and others.

I’m here to grow with you! Through resources from my graduate studies in clinical psychology; anti-racist texts; insights from my own therapy; cultural references; Q&As with scholars and mentors; conversations with friends and family; and Oprah as my spiritual guide, All Mixt Up is an invitation to join me in an authentic conversation about race beyond black or white thinking. It is about redefining what our relationship to ourselves and others can look like through real talk, re-examination and recognition.

What can I expect from this newsletter?

A sporadic use of exclamation points!!!! and occasional UNNECESSARY CAPS. Additionally, if you sign up, every new edition of this newsletter will be delivered directly to your inbox. I’d appreciate it if you supported my work by being a paid subscriber ($5/month) which grants you access to the full archive, the comments section, Q&As with me, and fun surprises along the way! However, I understand that times are hard for a lot of people right now, and if you can’t swing it but really want a subscription, reach out to me and we’ll figure it out.

All Mixt Up is rooted in the spirit of gathering — connecting through vulnerability, story telling, trust and celebration of imperfection. It will typically come out once a month, on Fridays. These posts will usually be: personal essays, commentary on current events, Q&As with people I trust, advice, mental health resources and lists of things that are keeping me energized. I promise it will be a worth while experience!

To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.

Thank you for being here!

with love and so many feelings,

Jesse