So boom.
Maybe the real is on Substack. So I decided to tell a quick story.
”The Ava DuVernay Collective”
You know those nights when you and your friends are just chatting about Tyler Perry wigs and movies? Yeah, that was one of those nights.
But with a twist that I’ll never forget: somehow, we got Ava DuVernay into our Clubhouse room. And no, I’m not talking about a casual "maybe she joined by mistake" situation. I mean, she came in. For real.
Let me set the stage for you: 📣
It all started after one of my regular Clubhouse nights—the “Actors Meet-Up Clubhouse,” which was one of the top acting rooms on the app (shoutout to ME, a Black woman making waves in the Clubhouse streets). After the official meet-up had wrapped up, my friends and I were hanging out in a private room, just shooting the breeze about movies, Hollywood, and of course, the one and only Tyler Perry. If you know, you know.
Now, we were deep in our Tyler Perry discussion, roasting his wigs (yes, you read that right) when the conversation shifted toward Ava DuVernay. We were talking about how she’s changed the game with her work, how much we admired her, and what it would be like to talk to her—just casually, you know?
And then, out of nowhere, I had a thought. A ridiculous thought. I said to my friends, “Yo, we should create a Clubhouse room and invite Ava DuVernay in. Just imagine if she joined… HA!”
Now, mind you, this was meant as a complete joke. I didn’t even have a big Twitter following at the time—like, less than 100 followers. So I figured, why not throw out a tweet at Ava? After all, what was the worst that could happen? She’d never see it, right? ON TOP OF A PANNI? Everyone in the house? Yeah…maybe.
I sent the tweet, not thinking for a second that it would actually reach her. It was like throwing a message into the void, one out of a million. Who even sees stuff like that?
Here’s the kicker: She actually saw it.
I told my friends, “BRB, I’m going to make the room.” And, as I went off to create this completely random, joke-room, the thought in my head was, “There’s no way Ava DuVernay is going to join.” No way.
The room was created. And, of course, no one joined. It was just me and my friends—still going on and on about Tyler Perry’s wigs (for the record, I stand by our assessment). We were fully in our own world.
But then, something unbelievable happened:
She joined.
Ava DuVernay, the legendary director and powerhouse, casually walked into our tiny, joke of a Clubhouse room.
It was like pin dropped in that chat. No one spoke. Just me screaming as whisper.
We were all just staring at the screen, trying to make sense of what was happening. There was Ava, joining in, just like she was another member of the crew. No big fanfare. No introduction. Just pure magic.
We were all freaked out but somehow kept our cool (kind of). Ava started chatting with us! Then….the overflow started.
The best part? It wasn’t just a casual cameo. She stayed for a good amount of time, just hanging out and adding to the conversation. We talked about everything—film, the industry, our personal journeys—and yes, more people started to join.
Over 100 people in the room. Stars like LaKeith Stanfield AND Tim Story joined.
That night, it wasn’t about being starstruck. It wasn’t about acting all professional or trying to impress her. It was just people—real people—connecting. Ava DuVernay, the director of Selma and When They See Us, was just a person, sitting in a random Clubhouse room, laughing with us like we were all old friends.
For a moment. We were all in a masterclass. Learning how to be. We didn’t know it at the time, but that night would go down as one of the most surreal moments in my time on Clubhouse. I’ll never forget the look on my friends’ faces when we realized Ava was really there, sharing the space with us in such a genuine way.
And as for Tyler Perry? Well, let’s just say he still gets talked about for his wigs... but now, we’ve got the memory of an unforgettable night, one that definitely wasn’t supposed to happen, but somehow did.
This one moment reminds me that I may not be where I want to be, acting-wise. But God will surely take a few minutes to shine his glory on me.
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