I am Tamarra Coleman—a writer, an English professor, an activist, a feminist, a mother of three and a seeker… a seeker of my truth.

I was born and raised in Pasadena, California where I learned to love diversity. I lived 18 years of my adult life on the southside of Chicago, where I learned to love my Blackness. I am straightforward and complicated all at the same time. I spent time in community colleges, two state universities and an expensive private Catholic institution for graduate school.

I have survived childhood sexual abuse, one failed marriage, the tragic loss of two brothers in two years, and the near loss of a child. I did an internship in urban agriculture on the Carribean side of Costa Rica in 2015 and traveled back to the country a half a dozen times, since then. I am a trained community organizer, and I was a mediocre hurdler on the track team in high school. In my youth, I dreamed of becoming an actress. I now dream of owning a small organic farm in the mountains of Costa Rica. I like kayaking and live theater, sound baths and boutique hotels. I have a garage full of camping equipment that is barely used. I prefer converse over high heels. I’ll take an intimate dinner party of eight over a crowd of people any day. I am a bit of an introvert. I only realized this recently, after years of self-reflection and inner work. My energy and creativity are sparked by long periods of time alone. I like people, but I am beginning to like me more…

I have had many successes and many more failures. In 2011, I took the biggest step of my life. I stepped out on a journey to find me.

It is that year when I became a writer.

-TC