I’m honored to share my conversation with black activist and educator, Jamal Taylor. In this interview, Jamal opens up about his gay identity. Although it might be hard not to let others steal our joy, Jamal reminds us of the power of living authentically and extending grace and love whenever possible. As with all of the stories in this blog series, I hope you or someone you know in the LGBTQIA+ community finds them to be enlightening and empowering.

This pride month, I interviewed my 22-year-old nephew, Jalen. His journey of embracing his gay identity has captured the essence of a generation that’s breaking barriers. Studies are showing that one in five Gen-Z adults identify as LGBTQIA+. This is exciting news as we dream of a future where bigotry is dismantled and equality prevails.

Sexuality by definition is simply who you find physically, sexually, or emotionally attractive. Let’s hear from Jalen how he navigated his own sexuality.

In addition to my love of words, I’m also deeply passionate about giving. So it's no surprise that GivingTuesday is my favorite day of the year! What is GivingTuesday? It's a global generosity movement celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. On this special day, people come together to donate BILLIONS of dollars to charities. Read this blog post to learn more about the non-profit organizations that I support and why.

As I lay here, two weeks into my foot surgery recovery, I’m thinking about the many types of recovery—post-surgery, cancer, addiction, mental health—and how each of them can result in a similar feeling: isolation. If we can’t be in person with our loved ones or coworkers who are recovering, there are gifts and gestures that can make them feel less alone, like a handwritten note or a care package. Here are some thoughtful gift ideas to help prevent feelings of isolation.