Markeshia Ricks

Hi. I’m Markeshia and I write about the personal as political for Cracked & Golden but in a “transformation is messy” kind of way.

I’ll introduce you to people who feel the winds of change blowing on their faces and take action to make a difference in their lives and their communities. I’ll pull back the curtain to show you the how and the why of the transformation.

That might mean a story about how a campaign fundraiser discovered a love for baking during a global pandemic. Or it could be an explainer about how to navigate the probate court system when a loved one dies without a will. I’m a girl for adventure, particularly travel adventures in the great outdoors.

I’m a creative and a maker who has rediscovered her crocheting hook, her green thumb, and the shutter button. I also love wearing sequins out of context. I’m a student of the mind–my mind and the mind of others. I like to grapple with ideas, read big books, divine by astrology, reverence my ancestors and pose questions with tarot. I’m also a running mermaid who spends a lot of time on a bike because I’ve been car-free for nearly a decade. Read that again.

I’ve been a working journalist for 17 years with a writing career that spans seven publications. That means I’ve covered just about everything under the sun including the U.S. Air Force. But I left daily reporting to teach high school students about the intersection of art and journalism. My aim is to help shape a curious generation with the confidence and courage to challenge. I’m also training to become a voice-over actor while blogging at Too Thrifty Chicks, which I co-founded. I am also one-third of an intergenerational podcast called Ma’am, WHAT?!.

I look forward to hearing from you.