Makehba Nelson is a third-year student majoring in technical writing and communications with minors in neuroscience and business law. Nelson is involved with many things on campus that include serving as the president of the Black Motivated Women and being a community adviser. Additionally, she’s a peer mentor for President’s Emerging Scholars.
“I think, number one, I’m passionate about creating welcoming spaces for Black women just because I think that’s something that’s really important to me. A lot of my difficulty with my identity and understanding kind of surrounded around this intersection of Blackness and womanhood that I was experiencing. So I just kind of actively go try to create spaces where Black women can feel accepted and be seen as being multifaceted. So that’s probably my primary passion. I have a passion for public health. I think a lot of people here do, that’s kind of a common thing among students here at the U, just because we are a top tier medical research institution, but that’s always very important to me as a Type 1 diabetic, as someone who struggles with, like, a chronic problem. I always want to make sure people have what they need to be healthy. As far as pop culture, things I’m really passionate about are my love for Megan Thee Stallion and honestly, female hip-hop in general. Although I know I do not fit the aesthetic of any female hip-hop artists, I still have a passion for what they have to say and kind of how they carry themselves.”
Interview by Yoko Vue