Hello … let me take a moment to reintroduce myself…
I'm Dominique Drakeford, chief curator of a blog called MelaninASS and co-founder of Sustainable Brooklyn. With the official titles out of the way — I'm a Black woman from Oakland now living in Brooklyn, working every day to demystify ecological stewardship, dismantle systems of oppression, and elevate the voices and work of POC (especially Black women) in the sustainability space.
I'm carving out this small corner to write about the things I love — travel, youth development — alongside the things that stretch me, like entrepreneurship and healing, plus whatever other thoughts I feel like sharing.
Each year I aim to take one or two personal trips to re-center. Last year I took a Mega Bus to Philly and it was amazing. This year, I chose to head upstate to Mount Kisco.
The older I get and the deeper I invest in my work, the more I value intentional solitude. Reconnecting with my inner-community — for healing, writing, self-exploration, or simply to be grounded in nature — is essential to my spirit. As much as I love New York, there are times I feel like I'm suffocating and need room to breathe on my own.
Creative and social entrepreneurship isn't easy, and relationships — family, friendship, business or intimate — aren't always easy either
Moving through the world in my Blackness isn't always easy
Staying present on social media isn't always easy
Standing up for what you believe in isn't always easy
Healing isn't always easy
Resisting comparison to others isn't always easy
So I make time to show up for myself, by myself … and it's honestly one of the most beautiful choices I've made in my early career.
… Showing up for myself
This time around, as a nature-loving woman, I was seeking seclusion. I wanted time to connect with nature, to stay in a beautiful cozy cabin on my own, and honestly to get some much-needed writing done. Mount Kisco was perfect — just an hour and a half from Brooklyn by train!
