Melissa Lowery is a Wife and Mother to two daughters Jayla and Che. She went back to school in 2006 as a General Media major and Sociology minor. Melissa graduated from Pacific University in the fall of 2009 with a BA in Media. After graduation, she worked on several short independent film projects, commercials and a webseries around the Portland area. She has always wanted to work in media, film specifically, and found she has a great passion for it. Black Girl In Suburbia is her first feature documentary based off of her own experiences growing up as one of very few African Americans in a predominately White suburb. After her oldest daughter shared with her that a friend pointed out that her hair was not like everyone else’s, Melissa realized she had similar experiences when she was her young daughter’s age. This was the spark that lead to Black Girl In Suburbia being created! She is thrilled at the overwhelming support and attention the film is receiving. The process has been a long one, but no words describe her feelings seeing her story come to life. Melissa is drawn to documentaries because of the freedom they allow her to have in telling truthful stories and experiences like the ones in Black Girl In Suburbia. Melissa Lowery was born in Portland Oregon and raised in West Linn. She worked as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Jesuit High School from 2015-2021, and is currently the Director of Equity and Community Engagement at Central Catholic High School in Portland.