I’m Leslie T. Grover, and I come from a place where stories were lifelines.

I grew up in the rural Mississippi Delta, raised by civil rights leaders who taught me that truth-telling was sacred—and sometimes dangerous. I learned early that stories could heal wounds, challenge power, and keep history alive when the world tried to make us all forget it.

As a writer, activist, and scholar, I use stories to shine light on what’s been hidden and to give voice to the people and places too often overlooked. My fiction—like The Benefits of Eating White Folks—centers southern Black women with honesty, unflinching power, and love. Through Assisi House, the organization I founded, I help communities reclaim their narratives and turn pain into power.

Everything I create is an invitation for people to see themselves, to speak their truth, and to embrace who they are without apology. Storytelling can transform individuals and entire communities. And I write because I know: when we dare to tell our stories, we begin to set ourselves free.

So be free. Tell your truth. Walk in the power of your history. And make your voice heard.

The world is waiting for your work to arrive.