Meet Khalisa Rae

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Khalisa Rae. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Khalisa below.

Hi Khalisa, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I don’t think I’ve overcome imposter syndrome—honestly, it’s a daily practice to disarm it. To recognize when it shows up, call it by name, and choose not to let it take the lead. It tends to creep in when I’m leveling up—stepping into unfamiliar rooms, speaking on big stages, or being the only Black woman at the table. There were times when I felt like I had to shrink just to be accepted. Now, I know better. My story, my voice, my lens—they are my superpowers.

My therapist always tells me: “Map where you’ve been. List your accomplishments. Create mantras that remind you of who you are.” That has become a ritual for me. When the doubt comes, I ground myself. I look at the work I’ve done, the lives I’ve impacted, and I say out loud: You are here on purpose. You are not too much. You are the light.

Community plays a huge role too. Being surrounded by other Black creatives, truth-tellers, and culture workers reminds me I’m not alone and that I do belong. I’ve stopped waiting for permission to take up space. If a door doesn’t open, I build a new one—and hold it open for others to walk through.

Standing in my power is now a boundary and a commitment. Anything or anyone that tries to dim my light has to go. Imposter syndrome might still whisper some days—but now I have tools, truth, and a tribe. I’ve stopped shrinking to make others comfortable. My voice is not too much. My dreams are not too big. And my presence in any space is not a mistake.

I belong here—and I bring others with me.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m Khalisa Rae—a Black Southern writer, poet, and cultural organizer who believes in the power of storytelling to heal, reclaim, and rebuild. At the heart of everything I do is a commitment to honoring and preserving the stories of the Black South—not just as history, but as living, breathing legacy.

I serve as the Theater and Literature Director at the North Carolina Arts Council, where I advocate for historically excluded voices, and I’m the founder of the Griot & Grey Owl Black Southern Writers Conference—a space I dreamed into being so Black writers like me could feel deeply seen, celebrated, and held.

What I’m most excited about right now is our Carolina Gold Project, which includes a literary anthology, a digital archive, and our annual Griot & Grey Owl conference. This work is more than a passion—it’s a sacred responsibility.

What makes this project truly special is that we’re building the first-ever digital archive and living anthology dedicated specifically to Black Southern writers and storytellers. There is no central space where our literature, our oral histories, our poems and prose—especially from emerging voices—are preserved and celebrated in this way. We are filling a historic gap. We are saying: We were here. We are here. And we will not be forgotten.

We launched a grassroots Kickstarter campaign to raise $40,000 so we can fund this work directly through community care. That funding will support writer honorariums, production of the anthology, community programming, and the digital platform that will house this archive for generations to come.

This is about more than art—it’s about legacy. It’s about creating a literary homeplace for Black Southerners where we don’t have to explain ourselves, translate our tongues, or ask for permission. It’s about creating something eternal.

At the end of the day, my goal is to build spaces—on the page and in the world—where our stories can stretch out, exhale, and be honored as gold. Because they are.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1) Resilience rooted in purpose
Being a Black woman in the South, especially in creative, academic, and nonprofit spaces, means constantly navigating systems that weren’t built for you. What kept me going wasn’t just grit, it was a clear sense of purpose. I knew my work had weight. My advice? Get clear on why you do what you do. Let that be your anchor when the road gets rocky. Purpose will carry you when motivation fades.

2) Community-building as a survival skill
I used to think I had to do everything on my own. Now I know: community is everything. The most impactful moments in my journey have come from collaboration, from being part of circles that uplift, challenge, and sharpen me. Find your people early. Build reciprocal relationships. Lean on mentors, peers, and those walking beside you. No one gets free alone.

3) Authenticity as strategy, not just sentiment
There’s power in showing up fully as yourself—in your voice, your leadership, your art. For years, I tried to fit into boxes to be palatable or professional. But real doors started opening when I brought my full, authentic self to the table. My advice? Be honest about who you are and what matters to you. The right people and opportunities will find you—not in spite of your truth, but because of it.

This journey takes time. Give yourself grace. Celebrate the small wins. And always remember:

“You don’t have to shrink to survive. You were born to take up space.”

That’s my mantra—and my prayer for every person walking this path.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Absolutely. Collaboration is the heartbeat of everything we do. At Griot & Grey Owl and through the Carolina Gold Project, we are actively seeking mission-aligned collaborators who believe in the power of Black Southern storytelling to shape culture, build legacy, and spark liberation.

We’re especially excited to partner with:

Schools, educators, and universities looking to co-create culturally rooted lesson plans, writing workshops, or school-based programming

Black-owned businesses and bookstores ready to co-host readings, events, or serve as distribution hubs for our anthology

Equity-driven nonprofits, museums, and arts organizations that want to co-sponsor panels, performances, or archive our work

Content creators, documentarians, and digital media teams who want to help us tell this story on screen, online, and in living color

We’re seeking strong, mutually beneficial partners and collaborators who believe in the power of Black Southern storytelling to shift culture and shape the future.

If you’re a school, university, Black-owned business, nonprofit, or arts organization doing equity-centered work—we’d love to build something meaningful with you. We’re already partnering with incredible folks like CAM Raleigh, Durham Arts Council, the Hayti Heritage Center, Nasher Museum, BUMP the Triangle, UNC, NC State, and Duke. Together, we’ve created dynamic panels, youth workshops, artist residencies, community festivals, and more.

And we’re just getting started.

Right now, we’re dreaming big with our Carolina Gold Project—an ambitious initiative that includes an anthology, a first-of-its-kind digital archive, and our annual writers conference in Durham. And this is where you come in.

Together, we could:

Co-create culturally rooted lesson plans or curriculum

Build a digital archive that honors Black Southern voices

Produce a documentary or short film series

Host a performance, workshop, or writer residency

Co-sponsor a panel, book tour, or pop-up event

Launch a marketing partnership or community campaign

If you’re dreaming of something not on this list, let’s talk about it. We’re open to creative collaboration and shared vision.

We want our partners to feel like they’re part of something legendary—not just sponsoring a project, but helping build a future where Black Southern readers, writers, and storytellers have the platforms, recognition, and support they deserve.

So if you’re reading this and thinking this feels aligned, reach out. Let’s build something bold, beautiful, and lasting. You can contact me directly at www.khalisarae.com or shoot me a DM on Instagram @khalisa_rae. I’d love to connect.

Let’s make something powerful for the culture, for the South, and for the future.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Eric Thompson
Law Bullock
Khalisa Rae

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