Marisa Sinclair Umeh

University of California, Berkeley

My passion for storytelling is fueled by a deep curiosity in the human condition; the triumphs and losses; the suffering and survival, I’ve signed up to be a witness. By a simple cue of the record button, people unravel their emotional coil and trust me with their stories. I’ve realized how crucial it is to be this trustworthy confidant—people trust me to tell their truths. My drive to provide an outlet for truth is what fueled my interview with change-maker Robin Roberts for the Dream Big Princess initiative and why I utilized my documentary FEMStem to dispel misconceptions that fuel Islamophobia. I refuse to believe the fallacy that “journalism is dead.” I refuse to believe this because the oppressed and persecuted are waiting for someone to tell their truth.