The Makings of a Project Queen

About the Book

“The broken pieces of a Black woman.
Shattered by the neglect of a Black man.
It’s too much pressure to save her.
So, he turns his head.
Acting as if he don’t see her pain,
While all she needed was his hand.”

In her debut poetic memoir, “The Makings of a Project Queen,” Blossom relives a path of self-discovery, empowerment, and healing as she shines a light on key issues impacting inner-city Black girls today. She uses a collection of poems and short behind-the-scenes stories to take others on an inspirational journey of a hood scholar who forged her own path as a community-based educator and scholar-activist. Through the book, she emerges as a Project Queen.
Growing up in South Sacramento, Denisha “Coco” Blossom had to navigate gang territories, drugs, poverty, hustle, and power plays. She survived immense heartbreak, broken relationships, body shaming, and hopelessness. At a young age, she internalized the notion that, as an impoverished fat Black girl, her choices in life were limited. Despite these adversities, through engagement with poetry, education, street literacy, and faith, she exceeded all of the low expectations – especially those that came from her teachers. Instead of succumbing to her circumstances, she grew into a Queen. She lifted her head, reclaimed her crown, and became the author of her own life.
The makings of a Project Queen is a powerful story that will encourage women and girls everywhere to fix their crown, walk-in their queendom, and embark on their own journey to self-discovery and fulfilling their greatest life purpose.

About the Author

Denisha “Coco” Blossom is a mother, poet, host, scholar-activist, and teaching artist who earned a Bachelor’s Degree in African American Studies and Education at the University of California, Davis. For over a decade, she has dedicated herself to mentoring young girls and youth from the inner city. Her passion lies in empowering others through spoken word, writing, and laughter. Her mission is to uplift the world by inspiring the hood first. She specializes in facilitating writing workshops that allow people to delve into their own personal experiences and use those experiences as a tool to awaken their inner strength. Her innovative and culturally relevant educational experiences promote healing, social change, voice, and Queendom building.