People always say to me, "Oh, God, 'In the Spirit' meant so much to me, and thank you for writing it."

I was really writing it for myself.

I was writing about what I was trying to know.

My mother and I had an interesting relationship.

It was roller coaster ride.

My mother just told the truth.

And I wasn't always ready to receive it.

But Mommy always spoke her heart, and she took really, really good care of her family.

You know, growing in Harlem during that time, the schools were even fractured then.

And my mother was determined that we would go to Catholic school, the better school in the community.

And my mother changed her faith.

She changed from her Episcopalian church, you know, in West Harlem, to become a Catholic in East Harlem, so my brother Larry and I could go to Catholic school.

What Essence provided was something so magnificent for black women, a stage that presented the breadth of our beauty.

Every manifestation possible of black womanhood we could present to our community.

I have to tell you, succeeding Marcia Ann Gillespie as the editor in chief of Essence was no joke.

Because I had a high school diploma, and a commercial one at that.

And I remember asking our publisher, Ed Lewis, "Can I be the editor in chief and not have to write an editorial?"

I mean, I'm fashion and beauty editor.

And stepping into those shoes, those huge shoes, I was frightened to death.

And he said, "That's impossible.

You have to write an editorial."

And I thought about, "Let me write what I know about.

Let me write about what I'm seeking."

And that's how "In the Spirit" emerged.

I have a daughter, my Shauna.

Having to run home to her every night as a single parent-- my first marriage ended when she was six weeks old-- gave me the discipline that otherwise I would not have had.

We're talking about the crazy '70s, and everybod was hanging out after work, having a good time.

I had to go home, get the baby, cook dinner, and do all the things that, you know, parents have to do.

People have this image of me, and people will put you on a pedestal, you know, if you're well known.

She sees the warts and the wounds and the missteps and everything.

Parents aren't always wise, and we're not always right.

I can remember one evening I came home from work, and I came home like I usually did.

"Oh, the television's on.

"Hey, you all, the house is a mess.

Did you do your homework?"

And a friend came home with me.

And he said, "Is that how you speak to your daughter?"

I gave him fever.

"Don't you tell me how to speak to my daughter.

"I speak to my daughter the way my mother spoke to me, and I'm doing just fine."

But I heard him.

And I began come home from work differently.

And I'd leave Essence the 20 blocks south that it was, get myself just back in balance, come out and sit with Shauna.

"Hey, baby, how you doing?

How was your day?"

We have to really give ourselves fully to our children, even if it's for ten minutes every day, where we ignore what is ringing and buzzing and all the things we think we have to do, so we are fully present.

When I read that 80% of black fourth graders were reading below grade level, I said, "Oh, I have to plan my exit."

Took me a year.

Left Essence.

Today it's 86%.

Underresourced schools, fractured communities, pipeline to prison.

We can't allow it.

You can know your holy books backwards and forwards.

The Holy Spirit, no matter what we call God, God, Allah, Jehovah, Jaweh, the divine intelligence in the universe, and all of our wisdom books are saying the very same thing-- "Roll up your sleeves and do the work."

I am humbled by the love that I feel from my community, and it makes me... makes me pay attention to myself.

And it really emboldens me to do the work that I'm dedicating the every day of my life to these days.