When Jeni and Tobi first asked us as regional editors to write a newsletter to close our regional takeover, I thought it would be easy. I have been a bit – a lot – stuck; another lockdown has left my procrastination at an all-time high, the present is overwhelming, I have found comfort in being nostalgic over the past (pre-Covid) and trying to be hopeful for the future which is still uncertain in a way I have never experienced before.

Via Instagram stories, Elizabeth Uviebinene, co-author of Slay in Your Lane, reminded me of the book’s introduction, where she wrote that Slay in Your Lane was the ‘love child of exasperation and optimism’. In my nostalgic and reflective state, exasperation and optimism are words that help describe my journey with Black Ballad and this role as regional editor.