O u r S t o r y

Melanin Stutter Queens began with silence. For years, our founder was a covert stutterer, hiding her stutter from the world. She started out at what was known as Florida State Community College to obtain her Associates Degree and then transferred to The University of South Florida. At the university she often felt isolated and disconnected, longing to meet others who shared her journey.

As a Black Women who stutters, she rarely saw herself represented-particularly in a world where stuttering was often only associated with white men. In 2021, just months prior to graduating she discovered the National Stuttering Association (NSA) - the largest nonprofit dedicated to people who stutter in the U.S. She learned that an NSA Adult Chapter was a meeting right on her campus, led by Dr. Nathan Maxfield, a speech language pathologist and professor.

At her first meeting, she looked around the room and realized she was the only woman - and the only Black person - there. When asked what she hoped to gain from the group, she wanted to connect with other Black women and men around her age who stutter. Dr. Nathan Maxfield listened. Days later, he emailed her the names of a few of his clients - Black women who stutter. Then he asked something that would change everything. “Why don’t you start the first support group for Black women and women of color who stutter?”

So she did. What began as a personal longing grew into a powerful movement - a safe, affirming , and empowering space where Black Women who stutter can come together, share their truths, and be fully seen and heard.

This is our story. We’re just getting started.