Morgan Johnson.

Edited by Nada Abdelrahim

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Doing what I want, when I want.

What is your motto?
Nothing is mandatory.

What is your current state of mind?
I’m all about bossin’ up this year and making The TRiiBE a media powerhouse in Chicago--basically making my 2018 like Cardi B’s 2017.

How would you like to die?
I don’t intend to.

What is it that you love most about what you do?
I love that I get to decide the types of projects that I work on: whether that be taking a deeper look at gun violence related trauma for Black communities in Chicago with our ANOTHER LIFE series, or shining a light on emerging Chicago artists with our music show THE FORECAST.

If you could have a conversation with anybody (alive or dead), who would it be?
My grandma Azella Johnson. She spoke great things into me as a child and I wonder if I’m becoming what she imaged.

When did you realize that you wanted to be a creative?
I would tell my parents as a toddler that I was going to be in California making movies. I am making movies, but I just haven’t made it to Cali yet.

What motivates you?
The ancestors, the rent and free food.

What do you love about being a woman?
I’m loving that it’s cool to be supportive of other Black women right now. It feels like I’m a part of this dope ass superhero squad that’s taking over the world while screaming, “yaaaaaassssss sis!”

What is your experience of being a woman, while also being a creative?
There are pros and cons: on one hand I love being a minority because I get to come to the table with fresh ideas and perspectives. On the other-hand, people try to undervalue my work or they assume that I don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s a constant struggle of proving my worth.

“I love that I get to decide the types of projects that I work on”