In the Middle of the Week

It has been an enjoyable week having my parents in Phoenix. Long conversations. Familiar stories. The kind of time that reminds you how quickly the years move.

One evening, after running around all day, I settled in to watch the news. I was tired. My mother sat beside me, half watching, half resting. It was simply the end of a full day.

I meant to rest my eyes for a moment.

I fell asleep.

I woke up to a woman’s voice on TV.

A Black woman was talking about Watts. I knew she was Black before I saw her. You can hear courage. You can hear resilience.

She was captivating.

She spoke about growing up in Watts, marrying at fifteen, becoming a mother of five before twenty-two, and navigating love, independence, success, loss, and reinvention.

Then this stopped me.

She ran the first Black music-focused magazine in the country.

Soul Magazine.

I found myself asking, how have I not studied her story?

At a time when mainstream outlets would not place Black recording artists on album covers, Soul interviewed them, photographed them, and centered them. From James Brown to Aretha Franklin and so many others in between, Soul gave them space and visibility.

It gave them a face and a voice.

The woman speaking was Regina Jones.

Regina Jones expanded the visibility of Black artists.

My highlight this week is Regina Jones.

The documentary aired recently. I will not tell the whole story here, but this much is true: when Soul Magazine came under Regina Jones’ leadership, she grew it beyond its early footing and into national visibility. That rise was followed by personal and professional collapse. What followed was resilience and reinvention.

Rev. Jackson reminded me of service.

Regina Jones reminded me of visibility.

This week, I am honoring her.

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