Ahhh fear, it’s such a wild child. I learned a few years back at church, that fear does not like to travel alone, well, because its afraid! Fear always brings a posse with it. Some of fear’s favorite friends are doubt, worry, and anxiety. The first blog I wrote on this site dealt with fear. Here we are mid year, and fear is still relevant! How many times did I write fear just now! (Go head count lol) I felt the pull to write on fear again and I knew the perfect person to interview for the subject; Priscilla Peete aka Fearless Black Girl! Priscilla has started an amazing show entitled, Fearless Black Girl. On the show she travels the world and goes on awesome adventures. Y’all she even jumped out of a plane on one episode! Priscilla and her show is unlike any other travel show you have seen, and her messages about fear, all need to learn. 


In the pilot episode of Fearless Black Girl, Priscilla defined fear as false evidence appearing real. Read that sentence again! In our conversation Priscilla stated fear has the ability to torture you, it can be tormenting, and it can cripple you. She told me the role fear played in her life. She had an off again, on again relationship with fear. As a young girl she faced many fears including the fear of being raped.


“I used to walk home from school, so any type of car that just honked their horn, or if I saw a guy, that just…. I thought I was gonna get kidnapped, raped, or killed, and that would torture me. I use to fear, if my mom went out of town, or got on a flight, that the plane would crash. That would torture me. I use to always fear that she was gonna die. It was just fear”.


Priscilla shared that she learned how to overcome those fears. She began to speak over herself, making affirmations and declarations. She also spoke on how fear is not always a bad thing, and how it can serve a good purpose. Priscilla said that fear can also push you.


“You can fear something, but it could also be a challenge to actually overcome it……Fear has definitely played both a good and a bad role, because I’ve learned now, even though sometimes it still tries, I’ve learned now that, hey if you’re afraid to do it, do it afraid”. 


I agreed with her, that after you do the thing that you were afraid to do, you get on the other side realizing it wasn’t that bad. Priscilla gave me a 99.999% guarantee. I can rock with that! She said she rather people do things afraid, then don’t do things at all.


“When you don’t do it at all. When you get on your death bed, you’ll be like, dang I wonder what would of happened if I would of did that”.  


So many of us are on a journey to conquer our fears and Priscilla gave some great tips.


“First off, get quiet. Get quiet, close your eyes, take 10 deep breaths. I have to do that sometimes. You gotta take 10 deep breaths, because sometimes when fear comes, it comes with a lot of things. Fear can come with anxiety. Fear can come with depression, sadness, (acting out an example of an anxious moment) I just don’t know, what am I gonna do now..You start hyperventilating, you work yourself up. So I tell people, get quiet, get by yourself, take 10 deep breaths”.


Priscilla then proceeded to tell me what she does after taking some breaths. She shared to pray if you believe in prayer, or simply speak to yourself and do affirmations and declarations. Tell yourself that you can do it. Declare: 


“I can do this. Fear will not overcome me. Fear will not overtake me. I am strong. I am talented. I will make it. I’m an overcomer”. 


Some may find it strange or think there is no power in speaking to yourself, but we’re here to tell you, there is power in those self conversations. 


“You’ve got to affirm yourself. You’ve got to be your number one motivator when nobody else is. You gotta encourage yourself when nobody else will”.


Priscilla stated after you get your mind and self right, you go out and do it! I’m telling you, we have got to do the things we are just sitting on. 


“You take the steps to do it. You don’t have to try and do everything all at once. You work on that one step, then you do that step and you complete it, then you do another step. You do what you can do, and then everything else, whether you say God or the universe, everything else, it falls into place…..When you do your part, God does His part”.


Too often, according to Priscilla, people say they’re waiting on God and God is waiting on them. God is waiting on us fam, to do our part.


“You put your leg out there, God will say ok I see what you’re doing. Alright then I want you to do this. I’ll provide this, or I’ll provide the person that will help …… So, you don’t have a car, start walking.….When you start to face fear, things fall into place just for you, you begin to meet the right people”.


In the docu-series, Fearless Black Girl, Priscilla goes on adventures around the world. I was curious how the show began and what life events lead up to her embarking on such an intriguing journey. Since her youth, Priscilla has wanted to travel. Though it seemed impossible, in her head she continued to believe it was possible. In 2011 she wrote down her dream to travel the world. Towards the end of 2013 she began to think about what she was good at, and what career to pursue. She knew she was a people person and she desired to travel. She saw the career she wanted, applied, and began to prepare herself physically and mentally, and she became a flight attendant in 2014.


While traveling the world as a flight attendant, Priscilla saw the lack of black people on her flights, and the lack of people of color traveling and it bothered her. She admits she ignored it at first, but in 2017-2018 she was so full of questions. 


“When I turned on channels like Travel channel and National Geographic, not many people of color were centered, if any, in the center of those shows. Many of the travel shows, many of the travel series, I couldn’t really find a person of color that was leading that travel series”.   


Priscilla then called up a friend that had camera equipment. They heard her vision and got on board with the idea. They both had never done anything like it before, but they just grabbed their passports and stepped out and did it. Priscilla saw a need and decided to fill it! She did it afraid.


“I was fearful of being in front of the camera…… I was like oh, I can find a woman of color to be in this show, and I’ll just be behind the scenes. She (her friend) was just like no, it needs to be you. And I was like, but my skin, I have problematic skin, you know, um my weight, you know my arms are big, and you know I’m not really, skinny. So I had to overcome that fear of showing my insecurities in front of the camera”.


The wild thing is, I think she is so gorgeous. That’s how fear works sometimes, it can really mess with your vision. I’m so glad her friend encouraged her, and she put her leg out there! What we are struggling with, is the very thing God will use to help other people. 


“The very thing that is your strength, is the thing that I believe the enemy tries to attack you with the most…….He takes what’s your strength and tries to use it against you. So me telling people about being fearless, he’s going to attack me, with fear. A fear in the areas that he knows that’s kind of like a button for me”. 


Priscilla then shared how our strengths can be attacked not only by being turned into a fear, but turned into a weakness. She gave an example of a person who has a strength in speaking articulate and speaks well and they speak life over people, and they struggle with anger. A tactic the devil may use with this person is, causing them to be in situations that make their anger build up and they begin to speak death out of their mouth. We have to remember death and life are in the power of the tongue. (Read Proverbs 18:21)


Y’all, the girl is good! Ha! 


We shifted gears and I wanted to know more about her family and those that have served as her supporters during her fearless journey. Priscilla says her mother is such a strong woman of God that has been a driving force in her life.  She says her mother not only had them covered naturally growing up, but spiritually as well. She mentioned that her family is her village. It is such a blessing to have people who support your dreams. I know not everyone does, and I asked Priscilla what would she say to someone who’s support system was just them and the Lord and she said, 


“They actually have an advantage. And this is why I say that they actually have an advantage: Because the spiritual realm is much more real than what we see in the natural. Yeah it does feel good to have people, typical people there that tell you, you can do it, you can do it, you can do it; but if you don’t believe it yourself, and if you don’t have that spiritual foundation, or spiritual driving force to do it, you’re still not gonna do it, and I’m a living proof of that”.    


Priscilla was so honest and real with me. She told me that even she, still doesn’t do things that she knows she is supposed to do, but we have hope. Priscilla discussed how there is so much out there, waiting on you, and waiting to work with you to see your visions come to pass, and once you realize that, there is nothing that can stop you!


“You’re gonna have down times, you’re gonna have times when you feel like quitting……no, no, no, you’re gonna get up, you’re gonna dust yourself off, and you’re gonna continue and you’re gonna finish”.  


Now, you may have stepped out, you may have had a support system in place, but they are no longer supportive. You think it’s so bad that it’s just you and the Lord, Priscilla had tips for you too. 


“People will fail you too. Those very people that are rooting you on, some of those people are secretly wishing that you wouldn’t do better than them. So sometimes it’s good not to have people rooting you on. Sometimes, some of them same people are the ones that’s like, do good, do good, oh wait, hold on, they doing better than me, nevermind”! 


Remember, if it’s just you and Jesus, you’re winning!


As the interview came to an end I asked Priscilla what can we expect to see with her, and the Fearless Black Girl docu-series in the upcoming future. The show will have a season 2 coming and Priscilla visions the show being on a television network or on digital streaming services. She also has merch ideas for the company that includes apparel and luggage. Even further she envisions a Fearless Black Girl store where all can come and learn about travel, architecture, and history. Priscilla also wants to start doing motivational speaking for youth, teaching them to face their fears. 


“If children, especially more children of color were to take trips more, and take trips over seas a little bit more, with their families, their mindset wouldn’t be the same”.


Hannah, Priscilla’s teen sister has had a mind shift as a result of traveling the globe with her sister, and I think so many youth can benefit. My Bishop back in NC always told us, exposure expands expectations! Priscilla also shared with me her personal goals, and all I can say is, be on the lookout for the name Priscilla Peete! She is the positive voice that our community needs and I look forward to seeing all she does. Her last words during the interview were:


“I don’t wanna be successful within the world’s eyes, I wanna be successful in the eyes of God. I want to continue to grow in knowledge and wisdom before riches. Riches is loud, but wealth is silent. I wanna be wealthy within my peace, wealthy within my joy, wealthy within my family, and then of course wealthy within my finances, but also just growing within myself and using every talent that I’ve been gifted with”.


Vyse❤️




One Last Gem: After the interview we discussed how people desire to travel, but have the idea that it costs too much. Priscilla shared that her trips are not expensive. For example, her plane ticket to Columbia was $298. She told me that some trips with ticket costs and lodging, all costs under $500 total! 


A little something extra: Priscilla is a woman of much wisdom and many talents. I actually first found out about her from her beautiful singing voice. A video she did back in 2018 with her little sister Hannah went viral this year and I knew I had to see who she was, because that video had me rollin! Her video not only went viral in February, but is still a viral video across multiple social platforms with over 4million views. Priscilla said her and her sister love seeing everyone’s responses and they are so thankful for all who have shared her video and commented. So get ready to get yo life and watch this video gold!


The Original Video
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_R-pDhSrI/


This Needs To Go Viral Too! Took Me and Hubby Out!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm6Ytnkl6YX/






Below is The Fearless Black Girl docu-series, mission statement and I just had to share. Be sure to check Priscilla Peete out on all her socials and website. This woman of God is going to do great things and I want you to be a witness to it. 




Our mission is "to ignite and excite more people of color to the thought of a traveling adventure." One of our main goals is to empower and educate more people in the African American communities on the long term benefits of travel and overcoming your fears. 
 
We aim to transform the thinking of our viewers by the renewal of the mind with each episode watched by our viewers meaning we want them to say "Hey, she overcame her fear and I can too." Fearless Black Girl is dedicated to impacting the multitudes one person at a time. So we say, take yourself out of the box, unlock the power.




Priscilla’s Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sparkle_status/


Fearless Black Girl Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/fearless.blackgirl/


Fearless Black Girl Website
https://www.fearlessblackgirl.com


Fearless Black Girl YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVur2DgP_I4RAdxMyaos1nw

There I was, participating in my daily Instagram scroll, (seems all my interview ideas start this way) and I saw a video begin to play. I noticed the name of the uploader, and I was immediately intrigued. The video shows a woman speaking through pain while in depression. She looks frail and begins to cry. To some her words may seem to be random, or scrambling, but to me, it was just a regular Tuesday. I have recently began to share with people that I have battled depression and anxiety, and that day I saw myself in Jacqueline Horbrook, aka Jackie The Educator. She mentioned in her post that her counselor instructed her to create video diaries, and that she wanted people to see that who she is today is a testimony of a story. I reached out to Jackie, because I wanted to share with you all that on social media many see the results, but don't know the struggles, challenges, and steps behind it. 


“We all experience lows and highs in our lives, most of our highs are caught on camera, while our lows are dealt with, or left unaddressed, in secret”. - Jackie The Educator’s Instagram Video Post


I came back to social media to be a light in people’s lives who were living through dark spaces, and feeling ashamed to share and reach out. I loved seeing Jackie’s transparency, it was her way of telling her following, I may inspire you, but you need to know I’m inspired by God, who is the lifter of my head, and He can lift yours too! She gave hope and encouragement that day. It was her second time posting the video and she mentioned it was much easier to share than the first time she posted it. This is what she had to say about the first time she posted the video: 


“I was nervous to see others reaction to my story. I didn't want to be perceived as weak or inadequate. I actually posted it then took it down and then reposted it. Finally I just walked away from my phone and let whatever happened, happen.”


Jackie stated that seeing how many people were blessed by her vulnerability made her cry tears of joy. People, including myself, view Jackie The Educator as one who has it all together, and she said it was important to show people the road that brought her to today, and she was glad it served as an inspiration. Jackie said she learned a great lesson from her faith move. 


“I realized that the enemy uses shame and guilt to stifle our testimonies. I believe God wanted me to see first hand that sharing my testimony didn't make me appear weaker, but stronger”. 


I am honored Jackie was so open about her life and the things that helped shape her. She told me about the events that led up to her seeking counseling. Her ex-husband and her were beginning to drift apart. In marriage counseling they learned he was dealing with trauma from war, and it was affecting his ability to take on the role of a husband and father. 


"As a medic in the Army for more than 18 years he had seen a lot of war. We came to find out that the war caused more trauma than we knew. After several hospitalizations we realized it would be better for him to live elsewhere for the well being of our children”. 


Jackie then began to seek individual counseling where she realized the trauma her ex-husband had endured, inadvertently affected her as well. She began her journey to gaining a closer relationship with Christ and is a walking testimony before us. 


“Today I am healed from that trauma, and have moved forward with my life. Although my ex-husband and I could not salvage a relationship, I am thankful that I lived to tell my story”.


Living life now as a single mother, Jackie is balancing mommy life and business life. She stated that she takes it one day at a time, and as moms we must be flexible and be able to respond to change quickly. Her daughters are so adorable, and they are one of Jackie’s main driving force. 


“My daughters are my reason for pushing myself to new levels. They watch everything I do, and often try to imitate my actions. If I want them to be their greatest, I have to first show them the way”. 


I was curious what young Jackie was like. She was often the kid wanting to organize and teach others. Jackie was the boss lady even as a child.


“I often found myself in leadership roles, I was even bold enough to run against a boy for student body president in 6th grade. I didn't win, but he eventually became my first boyfriend so in theory I kind of did”.


Boss moves! Ha! Jackie also informed me her first career choice as a child was journalism, and she wanted to become a news anchor. We would have so been childhood friends. I could see us getting the inside scoop on what was in school lunch and sharing with our peers. In high school Jackie was well known for being a State Championship Speech and Drama student. As time went on, her focus shifted to working behind the scenes. 


“I let intimidation get the best of me and decided I wanted to be the creative genius behind TV commercials (I was inspired by Gina from the show Martin). I eventually landed in education where I found the satisfaction of everything I ever wanted to do”.


Jackie has a Masters in Counseling & College Student Development, with a Bachelors degree in Business & Marketing. She does wonderful programs and classes for our youth. I asked her what lessons she felt our youth of today are in need of beyond reading and mathematics, and she responded; critical thinking skills. With me being a homeschooling mother, I thought what she said next was such a gem:


“As a mom and teacher I focus less on learning techniques and more on developing strategies. At the end of the day they probably won't use the quadratic equation as much as they would need to know how to prioritize processes. It all boils down to the old parable; If we can teach our children how to fish vs. handing them the fish directly, they'll never go hungry”.


As a Black, Christian, Woman in Corporate America, Jackie has seen the reality of prejudices in the work place. She refuses to let it block or stumble her on her path to being one who ministers, teaches, and promotes change. 


“At an early age I recognized that my color and faith were barriers to overcome. But having my womanhood as a barrier always frustrated me. I could be just as smart and gifted as a Male, but my sex would always be another barrier. I quickly learned to use it to my advantage, as most women in corporate America do”.


Jackie has founded Black Christian Influencers (BCI), Inc. It serves as not only a platform, but a community that supports those desiring to make a positive impact in their communities. Come on, you see why I had to talk with her, right?! This is the kind of kingdom business I enjoy and must support! Jackie also has a show on ArtSoul Radio called Higher Learning. While in search for ways to gather an audience for her show she created a web space that connected the people she set out to teach and learn from. 


“I wanted to appeal to the Christian Intellectual, as well as the ministry focused leader. I started by connecting a few of my friends from different circles into a small Facebook group, and after a few weeks I noticed it was really becoming a hit, so I ran with it, and here we are. I would love to take credit but it's clearly a God ordained initiative”. 


Along with being the founder of BCI, Jackie also has a plan to open a Counseling Cafe. Read that sentence again…. A Counseling Cafe. The cafe will be a safe space for individuals that need to seek mental health treatment. Are you smiling as hard as me right now? This is a project I am so excited for. The location will be in Chicago and Jackie shared with me that construction is projected to start within a few weeks!


“This is my ultimate pride and joy. I love being innovative and I think this space will be a game changer……I absolutely would love to open more locations, especially in the non traditional neighborhoods that could really use unique spaces like this as an outlet”.


I’m just gonna put in the atmosphere that her next two locations are DC and FL! It matters not that those just so happen to be the two places I call home… On the real, knowing these communities, it will be such a great addition and serve a grand purpose in so many lives.  


As this posts comes to an end I want to say thank you to Jacqueline Horbrook aka Jackie The Educator, for taking time to share with me, not only more about who she is, but what she is about. She dropped knowledge and shared her truth. I want all my readers to go to her social pages and websites and learn more about the great impact she is having in our world. Jackie seeks to be a voice for the millennial Christian, and I must say she is a voice that all could learn from. 


Vyse❤️


Jackie The Educator


Website:
https://www.jackietheeducator.com


Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jackietheeducator/






Black Christian Influencers


Website:
https://www.blackchristianinfluencers.com


Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/blackchristianinfluencers/
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