Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Reed. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nicole , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My most meaningful project at the moment is my Melanated Justice series. As one of the Co-Founders of the Still Searching Project, NFP, the ability to highlight the epidemic of missing black women and girls in Chicago is very important to me. The Melanated Justice series, is a docuseries in narrative style that brings to light some of the stories of missing women that the Still Searching Project has done community murals for. The Melanated Justice series are loose reenactments that will showcase the women and their lives before and after they were taken. It is bringing the visuals of the murals into 4D forum.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Entertainment has always been in my blood; even with my introvert tendencies. I always desired to share stories or give our society’s themes a context that would make them usable. I love being able to inspire others to be their best. My journey started with theater acting, then going into the production side of it all. Learning the ins and outs of telling thought-provoking stories made me desire to do it on a larger scale. Thus, film was my next choice. I am one of the filmmakers chosen to be a part of the Digital Storytelling Initiative, Community Film Workshop, and the University of Chicago, to create a short film that would advocate for change in the community. My current series is Melanated Justice, and my proof of concept film is The Wright Shop.

The Wright Shop is the story of Joanna Wright. She is a sassy and headstrong hairstylist and a beacon of her community. One day she sees something that she shouldn’t have, and she is taken. This short will highlight the plight of missing black women, using the beauty shop and Chicago as a backdrop. Because what happens in the beauty shop, doesn’t always stay in the beauty shop.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal in my creative journey is to give a voice to missing women and girls. In Chicago, currently over 500k women have been found missing. This is not considering all the cases that have not be documented by the police. Malcom X, said that the black woman is the most disrespected and unprotected person. This made me adamant about using my platform to give them a way to not only be found, but to bring closure to family members as well.

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

My educational pursuit was at DePaul with a bachelor of science in Computer Information Systems. I have always been told by professors and instructors that I was a technocrat. I used the left and right sides of the brain equally. As much as I love intellect, my creativity also knows no bounds. So from Computers to Entertainment seemed quite normal of a normal choice. I learned how to do theater, being in front of and behind the camera. My ability to plan and organize from my degree helped me to facilitate faster results. I was able to utilize my technical skills while still fully doing creative work. Now, I am an activist, producer, director, actress, and writer. I can do it all.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thestillsearchingproject.com
• Instagram: nicole so random
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happywifeofdamon
• Linkedin: nicole reed
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/nicolesorandom

Image Credits

DAMON LAMAR REED
NICOLE REED
KYLE BONDESON PHOTOGRAPHY