Kenyatta Victoria is a previous writer for Essence and Essence GU, as a freelance writer she covers culture, lifestyle, and the intersections of identity and empowerment. With a keen eye for storytelling, she highlights the voices and experiences of Black women through thoughtful and engaging content. Her work reflects a deep commitment to authenticity, community, and celebrating Black excellence.
You started out at Clark Atlanta and earned your degree in Journalism. Was that always the direction you saw yourself going in, or was there a moment that made you realize writing could really be your career?
KV: By the time I got to college, I definitely knew I wanted to be a journalist. When I was younger, I also thought I might want to be a doctor and study bacteriology—until I realized I really, really don't like math. In 5th grade, we had to write a short story, and that’s when it clicked: writing was for me. So by college, journalism felt like the path I wanted. But while I was in school, my perception of journalism started to shift. At first, I thought, “I just want to go to concerts and award shows and review them.” But as I progressed from freshman to sophomore year, I began to realize journalism was much deeper than reviews—it’s really about reporting and storytelling. Now, at 26, my perception has evolved even more. Journalism, for me, is about giving the reader a new perspective—something they may not have considered before.
Kenyatta’s Essence debut. (All rights reserved to owner)
You’ve written for some of the worlds most popular media outlets. Can you walk us through your process for developing, pitching, and writing a story for publication, including how you tailor pitches to specific outlets?
KV: A lot of publications are really looking for unique ideas. I think having people in the same field as you, with the same mindset, can be a huge asset—they help you bounce ideas around and tailor your pitch specifically to the publication. For me, it all comes down to POV: What do you as the writer bring that no one else can? What makes your perspective so unique that it can’t be replicated by someone already on staff? You have to show up like, “Nobody else could write this story, nobody else has this idea, nobody else has this lens.” You need to sell it like, “Y’all would basically be lost without this pitch—this is why you need it so badly.” That’s the level of confidence you have to bring, especially when you're sending cold emails. You're not calling, you're not meeting in person—so your pitch has to hit. It has to say: “You need me. Here’s what I can offer. Here’s how this story will elevate your platform.”
“If you need to create it on your own thing and work your way to something else, you can do that, too.”
- Kenyatta Victoria
On Instagram, you mentioned, “My first entertainment byline was with GU… I’ve found my writing voice and learned to always be a student when storytelling.” Community played a big role in that journey, what relationships have continued to inspire your work and open doors to spaces you once only dreamed of?
KV: One of the relationships that was really pivotal for me was with Deshaonda Brown. I love her so much—her and Brooklyn White were the first people at Girls United who picked up my very first pitch. They gave me so much advice and really helped me figure out who I was as a writer. They offered such good pointers and always told me, “You need to be confident. You have a really strong writing voice—stand on that.” I still talk to them to this day. I have my own newsletter now, and Brooklyn actually edited one of my issues. Those are the kinds of relationships that keep you going, because journalism can be a lot, and it can be hard to find your community in this space. So many of us are remote—you’re just sending emails or DMs—and that kind of outreach really matters. I still keep in touch with a lot of freelancers I used to work with. They’ll send job opportunities my way, check in on me, or we’ll hop on weekly calls just to talk. It’s not always transactional like, “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” Sometimes we just catch up or vent about journalism or something that happened at an event. And that really matters, because later on they might hit you up like, “Hey, I thought of you for this.” For me, it’s about genuinely checking in with people, and having people check in with me. I really appreciate that.
GU Disruptor Summit, Kenyatta as moderator (All rights reserved to owner)
You've been writing professionally for nearly four years. How has your writing style evolved during that time, and what advice would you give to aspiring writers about trusting the stories they feel compelled to tell?
KV: My voice is very prominent today, while also maintaining journalism ethics and stuff like that. So I think that's where I feel like I've evolved. I see that even though I'm freelancing or writing through my newsletter, I can tell people appreciate my words and my voice, so that always makes me feel good. I know when I'm giving my all and when I'm not, and so it's just that drive is still there, so I appreciate that. For aspiring writers, I think if you really, really decide, “I want to be a writer,” you have to exercise that muscle… like, a lot. Don't feel like, “Oh, nobody's looking at my pitches, nobody's accepting my pitches.” I know people always say make your own thing, and I'm not saying start a magazine, build a company—take baby steps. But also, if you have a newsletter or if you have your own website, keep writing if that's what you want to do. Also, promote—that’s really important. That's how people see your stuff. Exercising that muscle and writing on a daily basis or a weekly basis—twice a week, once a week—just keeping that up also helps you become a better writer.
Experience in real life, because that's where you get your ideas from. You get them from talking to your friends, or listening to an album, or, you know, watching the news. Those are how ideas flow. You have to be able to bounce ideas off of yourself. Consistently doing that on your own platform and then thinking, like, “Oh, this would be cool for this publication”—I think that really, really helps. Even when I'm not pitching or freelancing, I'm still using my newsletter. Like, that's always gonna be my outlet.
What role does representation play in helping the next generation believe that their dreams and aspirations are truly possible?
KV: The people that I admire—Brooklyn White, Deshaonda, and Taylor Crumpton—they showed me, “They could do it, I could do it.” So I think representation is important. I've gotten to work with a lot of college students or early grads. They'll have calls with me, and I’ll edit some of their stuff, because I want them to be the best that they can be, and I want to set an example of showing that you can—you can really do this. Everybody's path is not the same, and everybody gets to places differently, but the overall picture is, “If you want it, you can go get it.” And if you need to create your own thing and work your way to something else, you can do that too. There is nothing wrong with that. Especially when you have passion and drive and you care, people see that. That representation and seeing other people go get it is vital.
Don't be afraid to reach out to me. I would love to talk with you, and not make it a transactional thing, but just be open to you really picking my brain. Just put yourself out there. Even when it comes to your work—just promote, just write. You have to have that drive and wit, especially in this industry. People aren't just gonna hand you things. You have to create that space and create that environment for yourself so people know how to support you.
Want to hear more amazing stories like this? Check out our “More of Us” series! If you want to connect with Kenyatta and support the work she is doing, follow her on social @kenyattavictoria and support her newsletter.