You can listen to our in-depth interview with Channa here or watch it on the Diamond in the Bluff Youtube page here.
Hardly Home but Always Reppin’
Where did you grow up in Memphis?
Hickory Hill
Obligatory, where did you go to high school?
White Station High School
Where do you live now?
Seattle, WA
What do you do? Job, side hustle, hobbies…what keeps you busy?
Recruiter. Talent Expert, Coach, Beer Enthusiast , Foodie, People Lover
Why is Memphis an important part of your story?
Memphis gave me the ability to be in whatever space I want without fear. White suburban life… I lived it until Hickory Hill was annexed into a the city and transitioned to all black neighborhood due to white flight. Deep appreciation of Black History … I got it from Peabody Elementary where I had exactly three white teachers between kindergarten and sixth grade and a bunch of Black women that settled for nothing less than me being great. A top tier education that exposed me to kids from various economic and social backgrounds, White Station Middle and High School. But what Memphis gave me most is the appreciation of a gritty culture where you have to seek what’s worth finding. You can’t be entitled in Memphis, it’s not the city for handouts. Now I wish I had even more Memphis in me, but I take what I have and make my city proud.
When you come back home, what is your first stop?
Soulfish
What’s your favorite Memphis memory or story?
When Mikhail Gorbechav, the last leader of the Soviet Union, won the National Civil Rights Museum’s Freedom Award in the 90s I got to go to the ceremony and be in a video showcased at the event about Civil Rights. I was about 10. Why? Because my former school principal also happened to be a church member who also happened to be a part of the school board and organizing the video. So basically… I’m in a world’s leader award ceremony, a person known for helping to dismantle the Berlin Wall, because of a hook-up. Peak Memphis even though not a story shared across Memphis
Fill in the blanks. The M Made Me_universal because a little bit of everything is in Memphis.
DITB 