We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Valerie Denise Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Valerie Denise thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I have ever created is the story of my parents, rooted in real life, real loss, and real love. After losing both of them during a time when my family experienced multiple losses, I found myself navigating grief while still trying to move forward in my career. Instead of running from that pain, I chose to shape it into a story. I presented the project at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), where it received a cash award and recognition that meant more than any previous accomplishment because it honored the people who gave me life. When additional opportunities followed, I stepped back to process my losses, choosing to move with intention rather than urgency.

That experience reshaped how I approach storytelling. When my father passed, I immersed myself in my work as a radio personality, collaborating with community leaders and public figures to raise awareness around health and mental wellness in the African American community. I have always believed storytelling should serve a purpose beyond entertainment.

As a former Ebony Fashion Fair model and a current member of Women in Film, I continue to evolve as a filmmaker, using short and vertical formats to document stories that might otherwise be overlooked. My work extends beyond the screen into public discourse, including a widely discussed exchange with Judge Joe Brown where I advocated for Harriet Tubman’s rightful place on the twenty dollar bill. Honoring history and preserving truth remain central to my voice.

That same purpose drives my recent work on Kim Weston, an 86 year old Motown legend now living in poverty despite her contributions to music history. I stepped in not only as a filmmaker, but as an advocate, helping raise funds for her immediate needs while creating a documentary short to preserve her legacy and bring awareness to her reality. The project has been recognized at film festivals across Texas, California, New York, Georgia, and throughout Florida. Beyond recognition, the work is about giving people their flowers while they are still here. I am also grateful for the guidance of my mentor, writer, comedian, and published author Derrick Muhammad, who continues to support my growth, especially in the vertical storytelling space.

At its core, my work is grounded in truth, legacy, and responsibility. I do not see filmmaking as content creation. I see it as preservation, as advocacy, and as a commitment to ensuring that the stories that matter are never forgotten.

Valerie Denise, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

First, I want to express how grateful I am for the opportunity to share my story. I do not take that lightly, because every opportunity to be heard is something I truly value.

At my core, I am someone who loves life and values the people I encounter along the way. I see every person as a gift, whether the experience is good or challenging, because each moment teaches me something. I am proud of my Geechie and Caribbean heritage, and being raised in Miami shaped me in a powerful way. I grew up surrounded by culture, rhythm, language, and diversity, which gave me a natural ability to connect with people from all walks of life. My experiences traveling, both through military exposure and personal journeys, have further expanded my perspective and continue to influence my storytelling.
Before film, my path moved through many spaces. I worked as a model, including with Ebony Fashion Fair, and appeared in magazines, television commercials, films, radio campaigns, Disney projects, tourism campaigns, court television, reality programming, and music videos. I never chased fame. I have always been more interested in connection, purpose, and impact. Every role allowed me to better understand people.

That understanding led me into filmmaking.

I did not enter this industry through a traditional path. I grew into it through lived experience. I realized that storytelling through film allows me to document truth, preserve history, and give voice to stories that might otherwise be overlooked. Today, I focus on short-form and documentary storytelling that centers culture, community, and legacy. My work exists at the intersection of storytelling and service. I do not simply create content. I create awareness.
As a current member of Women in Film and a former President of the Black Cinema Spotlight at the Jacksonville Film Festival, I remain committed to both creative work and community impact. I have collaborated with organizations, public figures, and community programs with the intention of using media to inform, uplift, and challenge necessary conversations.

What sets me apart is simple. I care deeply about the people whose stories I tell. I approach every project with a sense of responsibility. Whether advocating for Harriet Tubman and her rightful place on the twenty dollar bill during a widely discussed exchange with Judge Joe Brown, or bringing awareness to the reality of Kim Weston, an 86 year old Motown legend now living in poverty, my work is rooted in purpose. With Kim’s story, I not only created a documentary short, I also helped raise funds for her basic needs while working to preserve her legacy and reintroduce her story to audiences through film festivals across the country.
What I am most proud of is not a single project, but the consistency of showing up, even through life’s most difficult moments. I have experienced deep personal loss, and instead of allowing it to silence me, I have allowed it to shape my storytelling with honesty, compassion, and intention.

I stay grounded through my family. My sister Tara and my closest friends Kedra Curry, Tiea Whitaker, Jovaun Brown, and Jerry Garrett are my foundation. Tiea Whitaker, my consultant and publicist, keeps me aligned with purpose and vision. My nephews, Pop and Taran, remind me daily to keep going, keep building, and keep believing in what is possible.

Above all, my faith in God guides everything I do. I trust that every step, every connection, and every opportunity is part of a greater purpose.
I am not here to chase attention. I am here to preserve what matters. My work is about people, legacy, and truth. As long as I am given the opportunity, I will continue to tell stories that deserve to be seen, heard, and remembered.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Death is never easy, but losing people you love to things that could have been prevented does something different to your spirit.

There was a time in my life when I lost my entire support system within months of each other. I lost my mother, Jean Jones, my grandmother, and my best friend. They were my circle, my covering, and my sense of balance. When they were gone, everything else felt meaningless. My career, my goals, and my ambition no longer mattered. I had built a life around purpose and storytelling, but in that moment, I did not care about any of it. I stepped away. I quit. I had poured everything into my work, but grief does not care how hard you have worked. It will sit you down whether you are ready or not.

When I found my way back, I returned long enough to direct a project that went on to win at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF). The story was rooted in my parents, but even that did not fully heal what I was carrying. What I was dealing with was deeper than loss. It was everything that came with it.

My mother and grandmother passed from preventable illnesses, but the conditions surrounding their lives also mattered. The lack of support, the emotional and spiritual absence, and the weight they carried all played a role. If I am honest, much of that pain was tied to the men in their lives. I do not say that lightly. I do not say it without emotion. There are still parts of that story that are difficult to speak on without anger. What I can say is this. There is never an excuse for domestic violence, and there is never a justification for abandoning someone who needs support.

That pain pushed me into one of the most honest pivots of my life. I created a documentary centered on domestic violence, starring Kedra L. Curry Quintana, not because I had all the answers, but because I had questions, anger, and a need to understand. It became my way of confronting something that had lived too close to home for too long.

There were moments when I wanted to be angry at everything. I questioned God and asked why. Then I had to remind myself that God had always been the one constant in my life. Even in my lowest moments, He never left me. In the middle of that confusion, He placed people in my life, including three men, Kenneth Everett, Jr., Leonard McDonald and Riley, who reminded me that all men are not the same. That truth did not erase my pain, but it gave me balance. It kept my hurt from rewriting my entire perspective.

What I learned during that time is that grief will introduce you to parts of yourself you did not know existed. It will test your faith, your identity, and your purpose. I tried to walk away from mine, but purpose does not take no for an answer. No matter how far I stepped back, I found myself being pulled back into storytelling, back into documenting truth, and back into the very thing I thought I needed to escape.

That is what a real pivot looked like for me. It was not clean. It was not strategic. It was a breaking and a rebuilding.

If there is anything I have taken from that season, it is this. Listen to your inner voice and surround yourself with people who allow you to heal, but do not allow you to abandon who you are called to be. Sometimes the very thing you run from is the very thing you were created to do.

For me, that has always been telling the truth, even when it hurts.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the hardest lessons I had to unlearn was the belief that I had to become what others expected in order to succeed.

Coming up in the modeling industry, there were always unspoken rules about who you should be, how you should look, how you should speak, and even how you should carry your personality. For a period of time, I internalized that. No matter what I did, I felt like I was never enough, never the right look, never the right skin tone, never the right version of myself. I experienced sexism, colorism, racism, and body shaming, along with a constant stream of expectations that tried to reshape me into something more acceptable. The truth is, for a moment, I lost myself trying to keep up.

What shifted everything for me was working with young people. When I started mentoring and listening to their stories, I realized they were facing those same pressures even earlier, especially through social media. Watching that made me step back and take a deeper look at myself.

Those young people became my teachers. They helped me understand that I did not have to become anything other than who I already was. Even if it meant not fitting into certain spaces, I had to choose authenticity over approval.

That same mindset shapes how I approach social media today. I see it as a place to connect and share, but not a place that defines me. I truly appreciate the people who take the time to support my platforms, hit the like button, and leave a comment. I especially enjoy the positive and funny comments. Those moments remind me that there is still real connection behind the screen.

At the same time, I do not let social media guide my identity. It is not an instruction manual for my life or my career.
When I walk into any room, I bring myself. Not a curated version, not a performance, just me.

The truth I had to learn is simple. I was never not enough. I was just trying to fit into spaces that were never designed for me to be fully myself.
Once I let that go, everything changed.

And I appreciate CanvasRebel for asking a question that allowed me to reflect on that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://valeriedenisejones.com
• Instagram: Valerie Denise Jones or Ms. Valerie Denise Jones