Why Is Everyone Talking About Tiffanie Drayton?

In March 2020, all of our lives changed forever as the COVID-19 pandemic started to terrorize the world. I was in beautiful, sunny Tobago to visit my son, his mother, and my family. It would be during this chaotic yet inspiring year that I would realize the real power of words. While in Tobago, I witnessed one of the most innovative and thoughtful authors daily. Tiffanie Drayton is a prolific, accomplished writer who is a 2013 New School graduate. She went on become a freelance journalist writing literary pieces, including "Black Lives Matter protests reveal that white supremacy is a problem everywhere" for Vox, "Officer calls on police to stop justifying George's Floyd's death" for dailydot.com. She also wrote "Why Minority Male Oppression is a Feminist Issue" for Huffington Post, among many other literary pieces. Ms. Drayton has performed interviews with MSN, CNN, NPR, Huffington Post, Complex, and several other mainstream news outlets.

Tiffanie is not afraid to tackle controversial issues-particularly racism, sexism, and domestic violence. Ms. Drayton's honest delivery regarding these sensitive topics has garnered some resentment from her detractors. In May 2020, Tiffanie's masterful article entitled "I am a Black American. I had to get out." become a front-page story for the New York Times Sunday edition's opinion page. The report reflected her grief and joy growing up in several states, including Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and New York. The article also discusses the troubling racial issues that faced her Trinidadian family during her childhood and adolescent years. The most controversial aspect is her condemnation of the U.S. government to treat black people throughout its history. She cites many examples of mistreatment to illustrate her and our collective case as Black Americans seeking asylum in foreign countries.

Most importantly, she wanted to give her two young children a better opportunity for freedom. The article quickly became a popular discussion piece for many people who contemplated their place in America's current state of affairs. Her decision to move back to Trinidad and Tobago lead to a complicated international custody case involving her ex-boyfriend, New Jersey State Family Court, and the U.S. Government. Tiffanie was able to prepare documents for her custody case, write articles for various online sites, raise her two young children, and negotiate her first book deal. As summer evolved into fall, Ms. Drayton started to become one of the most popular new black writers in both nations. Her first book will address many similar issues that significantly affect black women, such as domestic violence, the historical and current impact of racism, sexism, and fear for black America's future, despite her story's emotionally charged undertones.

Many people can find inspiration in her intriguing tale. Tiffanie's unique ability to express these thoughts in her written pieces speaks for an entire nation of unheard women who endure similar daily problems. In December, as I left Trinidad to return to New York City. I also found inspiration from Tiffanie's incredible journey. As an upcoming writer, I watched her intense work ethic, passion for expressing her thoughts, and intellect through her words and sentences, which motivated me to overcome my fear of writing failure. After reading one of my written pieces, she once told me that I could become a great writer. Those simple words mattered to me. Even if she wasn't sincere, I needed the encouragement at the time. Tiffanie is a unique person who has challenged me, made me think about my place in the world, and inspired me to enter the writing industry. Tiffanie Drayton has also helped to motivate many Americans to question the true ideals of justice and equality for black people in America.