This article is in partnership with National Black Nurses Association.
The year 2020 came with its share of loss, but it didn't leave us without important lessons in its wake. As we navigated the reality of rallying against insurmountable odds during unprecedented times, we were reminded of the blessing of good health, the gratitude of life's simple joys, and the impact of stillness and slowing down. Another bit of beauty found in the ashes of the year was the appreciation for the heartbeat of our front line workers who turned out to be everyday people. They were the teachers in our children's classrooms, the cashiers at our nearest grocery stores, and in the healthcare field, they were the doctors and the nurses.
Undoubtedly, nurses weathered the storm and still continue to do so amid COVID. They worked long hours and went above and beyond to ensure that patients feeling isolated during these times due to the infectious spread of this novel disease felt less alone in the hours that could have left them at their loneliest. It is these reminders that emphasize the depth of nurses as light workers, as healers, but most of all, as essential workers in our healthcare industry.
Still, sometimes it is easy to feel that the hardest roles are the most thankless. To remedy that, we are spotlighting 20 nurses that have been making their battle cry heard on the front lines through purpose and dedication. On behalf of our partnership with the National Black Nurses Association, xoNecole spoke with 5 Houston nurses about what they do, why they do it, and how they pour into themselves after pouring into others. Here's what they shared.
Honoria C. Bush, RN
Courtesy of Honoria C. Bush
Title: Emergency Room Registered Nurse
Length of Time She's Been a Nurse: One year on February 21, 2021
The difference between working in a pandemic versus other times in her career:
"I actually started my nursing career right at the beginning of the pandemic in February 2020. I previously worked in the ER for two years prior as an ER tech. Being faced with using my training in the midst of a pandemic was an entirely different challenge. I used this learning experience and strived to absorb all of the on-the-job training that I could. I learned to move quickly but to also pace myself so that I wouldn't burn out so easily. There were times that I felt I couldn't make it through the shift without crying as our COVID numbers and the work demand rose higher, but I have an amazing team to support me and our patients are a constant reminder of why I chose this field."
How it has felt to be even more of a support system to patients amid COVID:
"I believe I have become more confident in my patients' care. I have had to not only be a nurse, but also take the extra step of being the patient's family member, prayer partner, and a shoulder to lean on. After my brother contracted COVID-19 and was placed on the ventilator and ECMO, the ICU nurses made sure that my mother, sister and I were able to FaceTime him every night. One nurse even went out of her way to research on YouTube how to braid black textured hair and cornrowed my brother's hair. The special treatment that I and my family received impacted how I treated my patients. I had one patient who was older and lived with her daughter. Naturally, having tested positive for COVID, she was nervous about everything.
"Anytime I walked in the room, she thought the worst. This sometimes caused her to hyperventilate, thereby affecting her oxygen demand. After noticing this, I contacted the patient's daughter to see if it was OK if I FaceTimed her throughout the day when the patient became anxious. I figured just seeing her daughter's face may make all the difference in the world. The patient and the daughter were calmer about the patient being alone and they entrusted me with the patient's care. It was at that moment that I knew I might not be able to remove the virus from the patient but I can try my best to bring some type of normalcy to them as they are afraid and in an unfamiliar environment without those that love them."
What she does for mental health and wellness during a pandemic:
"I believe I have learned to listen to my own body. In the beginning of the pandemic, I was eager to work as much overtime as I could to assist with the high work demand my department was experiencing. Wait times were longer, and my day depended on so many variables, 'Will my patient survive today' or 'will there be another patient that will code during the shift due to the virus?' Some nights all I could do was shower and go straight to sleep. Days and nights began to run together. Then things shifted both personally and professionally. After my own brother lost his battle due to COVID complications, I became the family member that was confused and didn't understand how a person can appear OK one day and then next day, I had to witness a healthcare worker pounding on your loved one's chest to resuscitate them through FaceTime.
"After my brother's death, I have been more intentional with listening to my body and not working too much. I also took the opportunity to seek professional help and meet with a therapist weekly to discuss what I see every day, not only with my own COVID patients but also with losing my own brother. I had to learn that taking care of myself is not selfish but, rather it helps me to be a better nurse who can serve others better."
How her purpose as a nurse has been solidified:
"I know I was meant to be a nurse. It's my God-given purpose. I wake up ready for work, ready for the shift and eager to help my patients in any way I can. The pandemic has shown me that my purpose is to serve others. My manager always says, 'You can teach a nurse skills, but there's no way to teach them how to care. It comes from within.' To those families who have lost loved ones to this disease, I sympathize with you and I encourage you to be hopeful that things will one day get better, but until then, be safe, know that it's OK to be fearful, but use that fear to motivate safe behaviors; wear your mask, wash your hands and watch your distance. We are truly in this together and we're better and stronger together!"
Chanelle Dozier, RN
Courtesy of Chanelle Dozier
Title: Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse
Length of Time She's Been a Nurse: Three years
The difference between working in a pandemic versus other times in her career:
"The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has always been a place of high stress. As a nurse, you have to be able to balance the stress of caring for the fragile infants. The pandemic was a whirlwind of constantly changing policies."
How it has felt to be even more of a support system to patients amid COVID:
"I am trusted to care for infants that are very precious, fragile, and lastly adorable. It is already extremely difficult for families when they leave their baby in our care. However, sprinkle COVID-19, visitation policies were forced to be even stricter than the previous occasions. It was extremely hard seeing a couple, trying to decide who would be the primary visiting parent.
"As the nurse, being able to help the parent do something as simple as FaceTime was rewarding to me. Also, giving thorough updates over the phone [and] hearing that sigh of relief in their voice made my night."
How her purpose as a nurse has been solidified:
"Working through this pandemic has not been easy on any terms. There have been many times of uncertainty, change, and stress. I am still thankful that I get to go to work and make a difference for the families and infants. I am thankful for all my coworkers that rally together to support each other."
Dr. Lola Denise Jefferson
Courtesy of Dr. Lola Denise Jefferson
Title: House Supervisor at Kindred Sugar Land Hospital
Length of Time She's Been a Nurse: 32 years
The difference between working in a pandemic versus other times in her career:
"We have always had to use Universal Precautions but now it is detrimental. You must wash your hands, you must use gloves when necessary, you must wear a mask at ALL times, and no more close contact. I am a touchy feely person. I love the personal touch of a human being. The patients are human beings who are scared and need a touch with eye contact from a human being, their caregiver. It makes me so sad that we have to be six feet apart to remain healthy. I love to smile and my patients and staff cannot see me smiling at them. That is a problem for me. Smiling is a big part of me and I am not able to show that I am smiling to assure people that it is going to be all right."
How it has felt to be even more of a support system to patients amid COVID:
"Our ICU is on the first floor. We roll the patient's bed in front of the window and the family stands outside of the window. The family members wave to the alert intubated patient. One day, I was rounding in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and I witnessed the joy of the family on the outside of the window of the intubated family member. That gave me immense joy! I started waving too! The family started jumping up and down when they saw me. So I started jumping up and down! This brought such a deep, warm feeling inside of me because I started picturing to myself that that could be me and the patient could be my mother! I was in the moment! I became tearful but I held back the tears. This pandemic is awful."
What she does for mental health and wellness during a pandemic:
"I am eating healthier. I am getting adequate sleep and trying to add exercise. I pray and ask God to heal our land. When you become a health professional, you fully realize that someone greater than us, is looking out for us!"
How her purpose as a nurse has been solidified:
"I love nursing! I love caring for people. All people. I love educating anyone who asks about the COVID-19."
Chioma Alikpo
Courtesy of Chioma Alikpo
Title: Med-Surg Nurse at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital
Length of Time She's Been a Nurse: One year, six months
The difference between working in a pandemic versus other times in her career:
"Prior to the 2020 pandemic, the main difference is the level of acuity and an unfamiliar treatment plan. As a new nurse, it was strenuous to navigate through these challenges but I was able to develop my nursing skills and utilize the help of my peers to treat our patients affectively."
How it has felt to be even more of a support system to patients amid COVID:
"I was empathetic to my patients' lack of support. I used my caring and loving nature to provide therapeutic communication to assist my patients through their toughest times."
What she does for mental health and wellness during a pandemic:
"I practiced the art of self-care by reading books, writing and getting adequate amounts of sleep. Also, my prayers and family gave a sense of comfort during these challenges. These [things] allowed me to keep my mental health intact to provide the highest care."
How her purpose as a nurse has been solidified:
"I have an important role to play in life and I knew I was called to do this job. Not only are they my patients but they are moms, daughters, uncles , grandparents and sons. I have an active duty to heal and bring them back to their families."
Debra Raven, RN
Courtesy of Debra Raven
Title: RN at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital
Length of Time She's Been a Nurse: 24 years
The difference between working in a pandemic versus other times in her career:
"This pandemic has really weighed me down. Many times it has left me feeling mentally drained and defeated. These times are in no comparison to pre-COVID times, yet I rise every morning with God's grace ready to save lives."
How it has felt to be even more of a support system to patients amid COVID:
"I have bought color books [and] crayons for patients for distraction. I have stayed with patients and held their hands. I have worn many hats. I've been a teacher, counselor, mother and friend to these patients. I always go out of my way for my patients and wouldn't change anything."
What she does for mental health and wellness during a pandemic:
"I gravitate to prayer to keep me sane through these trying times. It has always worked for me. I also have a workout program to de-stress."
How her purpose as a nurse has been solidified:
"I know nursing is my calling. I wake up every day for new challenges in saving lives and continue to give 100 percent of me all the time."
For more information about the National Black Nurses Association, visit their website, www.nbna.org.
Featured image by Shutterstock
RELATED
So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Despite launching media careers from different pathways, the two New York-based women have forged a friendship where they can discuss their ambitions and challenges.
Both women are part of xoNecole’s It Girl 100 Class of 2025, recognized in the Viral Voices category for the impact they’ve made through storytelling, creativity, and authenticity. Together, they represent what it means to build an "It Girl" brand with integrity and depth. In the spirit of SheaMoisture’s "Yes, And" ethos, Les and Kayla embody the freedom to be multi-layered as women evolving boldly into every version of themselves.
This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity
On Forging Their Own Paths
Les Alfred: Being a Jane of all trades is incredibly challenging. And one of the challenges I've faced is that the scope of what podcasters now need to do has increased so much. When I first interviewed you in 2019, I was still very new at it, but I remember being on a Skype call with you from my bedroom in Seattle. That was how I ran the show. And that was good enough. That is absolutely not good enough these days. The scope and the quality keeps increasing, but the resources that you have don't necessarily increase in order to remain competitive.
I get asked so many questions from people who want to get into podcasts and they want to get started. Most of the time, I'm just like, 'I don't have tips for you.' Because, one, I don't know what it's like to start in this current environment. Two, I know what it takes to contend and be consistent in this environment. The barrier of entry is a lot higher in terms of having something of quality than it was before.
On Balancing Ambition and Rest
Kayla Greaves: I've had to make a very clear effort to slow down and just not take on as much. Yes, you're running a business, but you're also living your life. I had one of those days yesterday. I just laid down and listened to white noise for hours because I just needed my brain to just be clear. I called a friend. I cried.
I'm starting over again today. The sun is out. It's a new day. And that's just sometimes what you have to do. You can't show up for your audience or for other people, if you can't show for yourself. I think that creativity comes from a place of living your life and having genuine experiences, and then sharing those experiences through your art.
"I had to give myself permission to let myself grow publicly in ways that I'd already done personally."
Courtesy
On Evolving Through Growth and Rebranding
Les: I didn't create Balanced Black Girl until 2018, but I started blogging and creating content and doing things under the Balanced brand in 2014. I was 24 years old at the time. Now, I'm 36. The things that were important to me, the perspective that I had and the stories I wanted to tell were entirely different. I think I had to give myself permission to let myself grow publicly in ways that I'd already done personally. The show isn't really about wellness anymore. And that shift started happening a couple of years ago.
When we started expanding into more lifestyle topics, more self-help topics [and] talking about entrepreneurship, the audience responded really well. That was when the show really started to grow and take off. And that was what got so much more engagement than the episodes back in 2020 when I was doing hour-long deep dives on gut health.
Rebranding the show was something I've been thinking about for a long time. When I was finally like, 'Oh, I need to do this,' honestly, was the 2024 presidential election. I was like, these people are about to be in here acting crazy. I do not feel safe with my business name being what it is. I don't want to be targeted for any BS. We saw what they did to the Fearless Fund.
"You have to balance your integrity with your income."
Courtesy
On Integrity Over Income
Kayla: I have many other interests aside from beauty. I'm growing and I'm changing as a person. I'm not the same person I was when I started at InStyle in 2019 before the pandemic rocked everybody's world. I don't think reviewing every single lipstick that comes out is exciting or interesting, because everybody does it now, and everybody feels like they're qualified to speak on things that they're not qualified to speak on. I'm currently in that pain point of growth.
I don't think I have always been in environments where I've been encouraged to branch out on my own ideas. I finished Ina Garten’s memoir maybe a month ago. She kept repeating this quote in her book. She said, ‘What goes in early, goes in deep.’ Now that I'm on my own and I don't have the resources of a traditional media company, which is what I have become accustomed to, sometimes it's difficult for me to be like, 'Okay, just go ahead with the thing.'
I think, Les, just the other day, you reposted somebody saying that they let go of a five-figure deal and then got double the next day because it just didn't feel aligned for them. Those are the things that happen. I have to find a balance of, 'Okay, how do I keep myself afloat?' And that may mean I may not be balling out of control just yet, but I'm okay for now. I can buy myself nice things every once in a while, but you have to balance your integrity with your income.
Les: There are just certain lines that I'm not willing to cross. Especially when I created more wellness content, one of those lines was I will not promote any sort of weight loss product. All of these GLP-1s all want to advertise on my podcast. I actually have nothing against those types of products, but I don't ever want someone to look at what I'm putting into the world and think that I'm saying that they need to feel a certain way about their bodies.
Even if the money is great, that's not for me to say, and that's not the type of message that I want to put out here. Or, I had another kind of brand deal come through that would have required me to divulge things about my personal life that I just don't really want my audience knowing about me, and bringing them along on journeys that I just find personal and I want to keep offline. I don’t want to be known for dragging my mess all over the internet for a buck.
I don't want to be known for being an influencer. I would love to be 1,000% in on my podcast, scale it, have it grow to be a media empire where I'm producing and putting out other bodies of work. For now, until that other side of the business really picks up and gets to the point where I want it to be, I kind of need to play the influencer game a little bit to live in this expensive city. But I'm gonna do it on my terms. It's a constant compromise that I'm coming to with myself.
"You can never make a big vision come to fruition if you're sitting and you're waiting for somebody else to tell you exactly what to do."
Courtesy
On Mutual Admiration and Friendship
Les: Something that I really admire about you in having known you for the past couple of years is you don't wait for a roadmap. You jump in, you roll up your sleeves, and you do it. You can never make a big vision come to fruition if you're sitting and you're waiting for somebody else to tell you exactly what to do.
Kayla: Well, first of all, I want to say thank you for saying that, because that means so much to me, and it's very affirming. That's exactly how I feel about you. I remember, even at your first live show, you're like, ‘Oh my god, I'm so stressed. I don't know what I'm doing.’ And, the shit sold out. And, you know, and now, like, you see the growth of the podcast. And you have nearly 61,000 subscribers on YouTube. I just checked recently.
I talk a lot about people that really just need to not say anything on the internet, because it's so frustrating as somebody who grew up as a traditional journalist. You want people to fact check and ask thoughtful questions and have good conversations. I've never said that about you. I've always loved your podcast. And I've sent a lot of your episodes to friends when they're going through specific things that you're talking about.
This season has been a little bit slower to me, so you've been a constant source of inspiration, and it's just been such a pleasure to see your podcast grow despite the challenges you've had. I know it's not easy, but you continue to grow and continue to push through, and I really admire that as somebody who sat and cried yesterday and listened to white noise.
And this is why I tell you all the time, you really do inspire me. I love you a lot.
Les: Oh my gosh, I love you a lot. I'm so glad that the podcast brought us together.
Tap into the full It Girl 100 Class of 2025 and meet all the women changing game this year and beyond. See the full list here.
Featured image courtesy