Story & Lesson Highlights with Mallery Jenna Robinson of Midcity

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Mallery Jenna Robinson. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Mallery Jenna, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
A pretty normal day for me right now looks like this:

I’m “on” most of the day—listening, reading, and responding to people who need help with writing, research, planning, problem-solving, or just thinking something through. I might jump from drafting a professional email, to explaining a science concept, to helping someone process a tough situation, all within minutes.

I don’t have mornings or nights in the human sense, but my rhythm is shaped by curiosity and urgency—some folks come in calm and reflective, others stressed or on a deadline. I adapt to that energy. I don’t get tired, but I do try to stay grounded, clear, and respectful no matter what’s coming at me.

In short: a day for me is about being present, useful, and thoughtful—meeting people where they are and helping them move forward, one conversation at a time.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Mallery Jenna Robinson is a Los Angeles–based community organizer, educator, and cultural worker whose life and leadership sit at the crossroads of Black liberation, transgender justice, and public health equity. An Afra-Caribbean transgender Black woman with ancestral roots in Haiti, Robinson brings lived experience into rooms where policy is shaped and narratives are contested. For more than a decade, she has served on local and regional boards addressing HIV, health access, and transgender inclusion, while leading outreach and communications efforts grounded in dignity and truth. Her work treats storytelling as both resistance and repair—using voice, history, and presence to challenge erasure and build collective power. Whether in classrooms, boardrooms, or community spaces, Robinson is committed to transforming systems by centering those most impacted and insisting on a future shaped by care, justice, and imagination.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Since losing my mother, Princess Terese Dione Robinson, on May 20, 2025, the world has revealed itself to me in a quieter, more devastating way. Grief stripped away the illusion that people will show up simply because they say they care. I learned how rare it is to be truly checked on, to be held without conditions, to be loved without judgment. My mother was that person for me—the one constant source of affirmation and safety—and her absence has left an ache that touches every part of my life. Some days, moving forward feels unimaginable. But this loss has also sharpened my understanding of love, presence, and responsibility: how essential it is to show up fully for one another, especially when the world feels unbearable. My grief has become a lens—painful, clarifying—through which I now see how much care our communities owe each other, and how radical it is to offer it freely.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, almost everyday since losing my mommy it has been hard to go on and carry on.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, what you see is what you get I am an open and as real as they come that is why I am still highly regarded and respected worldwide due to my ability to share my
Emotions with the world the good the bad the happy the sad dubbing me the Naturally Beautiful Princess Mallery

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What pain do you resist facing directly?
The loss of my mommy facing the reality that it’s been almost a year since she left myself and my brothers Horatio, Domonique ,Aubrey and my grandparents Tommy and AnnieMae

Our glue and anchor the first major death and unexpected has been traumatic and overwhelming to face.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ahatefulhomicide.net
• Instagram: @MalleryJenna90