RESPECT. Interview: Author Dr. Crystal Morris-Newsom Pens Life Guide for Teenage Girls with “How To Get Your Grown Woman On”

Dr. Morris-Newsom: I have always been a writer ever since I was a teenage girl. I would write poetry to help me work through challenges and feelings I would experience as a teenager myself, such as being bullied or having low self-esteem. Becoming an entrepreneur and business woman was motivated by my being a young single mother so I could be able to spend as much time as possible with my son but still make a living to support us. I guess I would have to say that I have always had a passion to articulate feelings into words however life pushed me into a different direction due to circumstance. After going through my personal teenage issues and then becoming pregnant with a daughter of my own…it just clicked! I felt like with social media and the amount of pressure on our young girls in today’s society, I have to try to do something to help.

Dr. Morris-Newsom: Yes, I have two daughters of my own, ages 6 and 8. They are still a bit young to read my book however when my 8 year old turns 10, I will absolutely have her read it. She wants to read it badly but we told her that she doesn’t need to worry about the things in my book yet. However, my niece who is 13 years old has read it and she was very excited to have something to so-call “call her own.” Her mother told me that she would take my book with her in her backpack to school and would stay up late writing her feelings down for each chapter. She told me that she told her friends at school that they should get them a copy because she loved it. From what I observed, my book gave her a sense of power and helped her to identify with her inner self. She is the oldest of three siblings so her life is always surrounded by being a big sister and caring for them however with my book she had time to focus solely on herself.

Dr. Morris-Newsom: I have thought about it and have several venues who I have been in contact with that would like for me to do an in-person book signing there however I want to be more hands-on with teenage girls and therefore I have focused my attention first on creating an online course to mentor tween and teenage girls in a small group setting through video chat.

Dr. Morris-Newsom: I have always been a huge fan of Maya Angelou because of her expertise in making words come alive on paper and beautifying them. Her poetry is a novel within itself and empowers the reader without having to use a multitude of words. She made a great impact in my life with her ability to inspire and uplift with her works.

Dr. Morris-Newsom: In the next five years, I would like to be able to say as an author that hundreds, if not thousands of young girls who have read my book and gone through my online course are more positive, productive, and empowered young women because of it. That is the main goal of my efforts, is to help our teenage girls in the best way possible and support their parents in the process.