Kansas City – born and raised, Ie’shia McDonald is a journalist, blogger, poet and the founder of hayqueen.com – an online space that focuses on uplifting young women of color through posts on lifestyle, careers, natural hair and everything in between.
BGP: Ie’shia, what does it mean to you to be a black girl with purpose?
Ie’shia McDonald: Being a black girl with purpose means knowing who you are first. Not by what the world tells you or your friends. Not going by anyone’s standards but God. You are at one of the highest levels of self-knowledge.
[clickToTweet tweet=”‘Being a black girl with purpose means knowing who you are first.’ – @I_C_U_esha” quote=”Being a black girl with purpose means knowing who you are first.”]
BGP: When did you feel like you realized your purpose or first got a glimpse of what your purpose might be?
Ie’shia: I’m still discovering my purpose but I think I first got a glimpse when I was in the second or third grade. The teachers would always ask “What do you want to be?” And I would want to say I want to be a writer. But that wasn’t the cool thing to say so I said “I want to be a doctor or I want to be an archaeologist.” I suppressed my true desire but my mom continued to encourage me. One day she bought me a diary and I said “okay, I can write in this and no one will really no about it. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I said “okay, I’m going to be a writer.” That passion has never died. I finally stopped running from it.
I finally stopped running from it.
BGP: What is the hardest part about walking in your purpose?
Ie’shia: Knowing what my purpose is but not being passionate and motivated to do it. Simply because I am someone who deals with depression. It’s hard to focus on your purpose when you have other things going on in your life. You also have feelings of inadequacy. But I’ve learned that instead of praying to God for motivation and passion I tell myself I’m going to be motivated.
BGP: What would you say to someone who doesn’t know where to start to find their purpose?
Ie’shia: Your purpose is probably right in front of you.
That’s what happened with me. I just stopped ignoring this thing in the back of my head that had always been there.
BGP: What’s your go to scripture when you find yourself lacking direction?
Ie’shia: 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxieties on Him for He cares for you, because I’m a very anxious person. That’s why I have it written down and posted on my mirror. I can always see it.
[clickToTweet tweet=”1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxieties on Him for He cares for you.” quote=”1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxieties on Him for He cares for you.”]
BGP: This month our blog is focusing on gratitude. When you look over the past year, what are you most grateful for?
Ie’shia: Sustainability in a lot of avenues of my life – finances, food, shelter, transportation, friendships, relationships. I’m not where I want to be career wise but in the article I wrote about post-graduate depression I talked about how gratitude helps me combat that. Even for the months when I was unemployed, I was still sustained.
BGP: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience?
Ie’shia: My passion is writing, but what I’ve specifically come to know is that I love writing about black girlhood and black womanhood. That’s why I created hayqueen.com. Our beauty, our lifestyle, it matters and its put it all in one place. Be encouraged, stay encouraged, you are royalty, regardless of what the world’s standards are. Be your own standard.
[clickToTweet tweet=”‘Be your own standard.’ – @I_C_U_esha” quote=”Be your own standard.”]
Know a Black Girl with Purpose?” Mention them in our comments section here on the blog or over on Instagram. Want to connect with Ie’shia be sure to follow her on social channels (@hayqueen) and visit hayqueen.com.
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