Nice to meet you, here’s a little about me:

I’m a writer, cultural strategist, and community builder with two hometowns - Chicago, IL and Memphis, TN. The viral impactful viral manifesto I wrote back in 2020 ‘This world does not move without Black creativity’ reflects my work’s central theme and focus: preserving, producing, and prioritizing Black stories, culture, and creativity for the betterment of the world around us.

My viral manifesto, part of a 2020 Twitter BLM Campaign. Photo: John Ennis

Creating at the intersection of culture, creativity, and community wellness, Melissa has worked for iconic brands such as Golin, EBONY Magazine, and Burrell Communications for social strategy and has written for various outlets and platforms including tomarywithlove.com (also worked on social media strategy), Glamour, Essence, Adweek, 23&Me, MTVNews, NBCNews Think, and Spotify’s Frequency.

My viral manifesto, part of a 2020 Twitter BLM Campaign. Photo: John Ennis

From 2010-2024 I created and grew #blkcreatives - a digital collective and staple in the Black creator community. In my work with this platform, I honored Black creativity in all of its phases of existence and development by executing digital experiences and activations for Lifetime (Janet Jackson doc, TLC Forever, Mary J. Blige’s Real Love), A&E (Bobby Brown doc, Right To Offend, Roc Nation’s Exposing Parchman), The HISTORY Channel (After Jackie), Amazon Prime (Mary J.Blige’s My Life, The Weeknd’s Dawn FM), HBO Max (South Side), Focus Features (Honk For Jesus), Square, and The Voter Participation Center.

I am also a program specialist literacy coach for 2nd graders in Memphis City Schools and a volunteer literacy tutor for adults.

Currently open to new professional experiences and projects in all aspects and timeframes.

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Testimonials

“Melissa Kimble was an absolute joy to work with on the 1000 Words of Summer project. She has a true gift for managing online communities, tending to and inspiring the 6,000+ daily users of this multi-week project with grace, diligence, and compassion. I can't recommend her enough.”

— Jami Attenberg, Author + Creator of #1000wordsofsummer Project

Cultural Impact

Acknowledged by Fast Company in March 2019 for spearheading one of the five pivotal initiatives that significantly enhanced the company's diversity efforts.
Recognized by Rep. Stacey Plaskett, with my work cited on Bill Maher. Additionally, my cultural writing has been quoted in prominent publications such as The Atlantic and featured on E News Online.