A Conversation with Andrea King Collier | Finding Her Voice, Following Her Purpose, and the Power of Storytelling
Sometimes the most meaningful interviews become conversations that remind us why we chose to tell stories in the first place. When I approach an interview, I approach it as a student. It is my goal to pull out the very best a person has to offer. In addition, I want to soak up knowledge about my guest while they are presented in their best light. That was the feeling I carried away from my conversation with Andrea King Collier, a journalist, author, and storyteller whose journey reflects persistence, purpose, and the courage to pursue a calling even when the road takes unexpected turns.
Collier’s story begins long before her upcoming appearance at The Moth Mainstage at Wharton Center. Originally from Gary, Indiana, she recalled arriving in Lansing in 1989 and encountering a community that felt very different from the one she had known. She shared how, when she moved from Gary, Indiana, to Lansing, Michigan, she hadn’t seen another Black person until she went shopping at the local J.C. Penney. This made me recall my own move from Gary, Indiana, to Lansing in 1985, learning for the first time the differences between Black and white people and how their experiences proved to be different as well.
As we talked more, we discovered familiar threads in our experiences: navigating spaces where Black women were not always encouraged to see themselves as journalists, finding our way through marketing, and ultimately recognizing that writing could be more than a profession, but a calling-a journey-a way of life. It can also be a way to serve those around us.
One particularly memorable part of our conversation concerned Collier’s decision, as she approached 40, to take her dream of writing seriously. At age 39, she gave herself an ultimatum. She would be a writer before age 40, or else she would pursue basket weaving or whatever else. Rather than allow the years to determine what was possible, she began making room for the career she wanted.
Although she had graduated with a degree in Journalism and Political Science from Indiana University, she hunkered down and took some additional courses at Lansing Community College to prepare her to walk the path to which she was called. She says she always knew she wanted to be a writer. Her path would eventually include writing about subjects close to her heart, from the experiences of more seasoned women to the challenges families face when navigating the illness of a loved one.
There is something so powerful about a woman deciding that her voice is worth hearing, regardless of when she makes that decision.
Andrea specializes in health, healthcare, public health, and health equity. Over her career, she has covered mental health, HIV/AIDS, infant mortality, reproductive justice, men’s health, health insurance coverage, and other emerging health issues. Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Essence, AARP, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others. She is the author of The Black Woman’s Guide to Black Men’s Health (Warner Wellness, 2007) and Still With Me… A Daughter’s Journey of Love and Loss (Simon & Schuster, 2003).
For me, this was more than just an interview. This was my opportunity to learn. To take in the experiences of someone who looks like me, walking a very similar path to the one I was called to walk in this life. It also reminded me of the responsibility that comes with finding your voice and publishing a community newspaper. We are not simply recording events. We are preserving experiences, amplifying voices, and making sure the stories of our communities are told with care.
Andrea King Collier brings personal experiences to life through the art of storytelling. Collier returns to East Lansing on November 13 for The Moth Mainstage: TIGHTROPE at Wharton Center for Performing Arts. Courtesy photos.
Through my conversation with Andrea Collier, she displayed a love for life and a humility that does not come from just walking out a career, but from taking in life’s lessons and offering her own shoulders for others after her to stand on. This is the part of the conversation that captured me the most. I asked, “You’ve written for some of the biggest platforms out there. What is the thing that you feel most responsible for as you walk out this path?”
I was so elated with her answer. She started by saying, “That was probably the best question I’ve ever been asked,” then followed by saying, “I want other black women to see me stand and know that I am making space for them. If I lift you up it takes nothing away from me. It’s like that saying, there is enough for everyone to eat. I want black women to see that anything is possible if they bring their A-Game.”
This was definitely a “mic-drop” moment in my view.
On Friday, November 13, Collier will join other storytellers for The Moth Mainstage: TIGHTROPE at Wharton Center in East Lansing. She shared with me that this is the first time she has returned home to perform with The Moth since her beloved husband and partner, Darby, passed after more than 40 years of marriage. Even through this tragedy, she desired to make sense of things, which helped fuel her to move forward, even at times when she had to figure out who she was after his passing. But the story I wanted to tell begins before she steps onto that stage. It begins with a woman who chose to write. And who kept choosing it day after day.
Catch Andrea at the Wharton Center as she takes the stage for The Moth, a show built around the moments when life demands a leap of faith. According to Wharton Center, the TIGHTROPE theme explores uncertainty, courage, close calls, and decisions that change the course of a person’s story. The Moth is a nonprofit storytelling organization founded in 1997. Its signature Mainstage series features a curated group of people telling personal stories in front of a live audience without notes. The organization also produces The Moth Radio Hour, podcasts, workshops, and StorySLAM events.
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