The one thing all people have in common is the fact that we are recipients of the gift of life. During the course of early life stages, we go through the maturation process. The first few decades are dedicated to physical, mental, and emotional growth. This process helps a person prepare to move forward with their life journey. As the person travels down the path of existence, they will build a resume filled with accomplishments. Imagine an individual possessing a life synopsis that consists of a career as an actress, singer, author, game show host, fashion designer, motivational speaker, social activist, and a Global Ambassador. This is an impressive list. At first glance, you would probably connect this list of accomplishments with a person in the 25-40-year-old age range. On average, that is probably the correct answer, but in this particular case, the imposing list of achievements belongs to a 15-year-old.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Trinitee Stokes made her acting debut at the age of 3 when she performed in a theatrical play that was written by her mother. In addition to theater, Stokes appeared in commercials for top national brands. When 7-year-old Trinitee noticed stores didn’t carry the fashions she liked, she decided to design her own clothes and unveiled Designs by Trinitee. At the age of eight, she booked the role of Judy Cooper on the Disney Channel’s series K.C. Undercover. She would go on to host Disney’s live interactive game show, Quizney. Stokes decided to step into the vocal booth as she released the pop song “Miss Me.” She transitioned from singing to writing as she authored the book Bold & Blessed: How to Stay True to Yourself and Stand Out from the Crowd. Angela Bassett penned the foreword for the book. Stokes appeared in 2 episodes of the FX hit series Snowfall, and played the role of Tamika in the ABC series Mixed-ish. Along with her career achievements, Stokes became a high school graduate at the age of 14. Now she will be attending college as a 15-year-old. Sports/Entertainment Journalist Vince D’Writer had a one on one with the multi-talented actress/author/ fashion designer Trinitee Stokes.
Vince: Describe your Swagher. What makes Trinitee, Trinitee?
Trinitee: What makes me, me is my thought process and my values. I say my thought process because I’m not afraid to step out of the box, and I’m not afraid to do the obscure and obviously always steer away from the grain. When it comes to things that I want to do, my ambitions, and even my style, I’m always doing what I feel is awesome. My values are what really lead and steer everything I do. My values and my thought process together really define who Trinitee is.
Vince: When a person becomes a star on the Disney Channel that individual receives a lot of recognition. How did you deal with all of the attention you received? Was it a shock for you or an easy transition?
Trinitee: I think it was a bit of both. I was a little shocked because I wasn’t really prepared for it, but when you begin to work with Disney they definitely give you a heads up of what can, and what probably will happen. I was so excited. I love it. It was something that I loved then, and it’s something that I love now. The transition was different. It was sort of going from living anonymously in a sense to being recognized everywhere. It took a little bit of getting used to, but now it’s second nature.Vince: Mixed-ish was a show that recounts Rainbow Johnson’s experience growing up in the 80’s. You played Rainbow’s friend Tamika. How did it feel to go back in time and play a character from a previous decade?
Trinitee: That was very exciting for me. I never did a period piece, but it was honestly amazing for me because I got to go back and read and look at all the amazing things that were in during that time. The way kids listened to music and the styles they had. It was a really cool experience for my parents and I because I got to look at some of the things they had and loved when they were kids that I got to experience playing a kid during that time.
Vince: You authored the book Bold & Blessed. What motivated you to write the book?
Trinitee: At the time I wrote Bold & Blessed I realized that no one was talking about having body imaging issues, having low self-esteem, or low self-worth. During that period of time, I myself struggled with body imaging issues. I was able to remedy my situation with the grace of God and the help of my family, but I realized no one was talking about it so I wrote Bold & Blessed as sort of a go-to manual.
Vince: You’re a Global Ambassador for “Read Across Africa.” What is a Global Ambassador?
Trinitee: A Global Ambassador essentially takes everything that “Read Across Africa” needs, and what our libraries need, and brings it to the world. A couple of years ago I visited the only library in a neighborhood in Kenya and I brought 100 copies of my book and put them in the library. For my birthday, I raised funding for “Read Across Africa.” I take the message for what we need and spread it globally. Our message is everyone needs books, and everyone needs free access to books.
Trinitee Stokes is an incredible talent who has accomplished so much in a short
period of time. In addition to all the other accolades, she is also a motivational speaker whose main topic is self-love, self-worth, and loving who you are. The 15-year-old is set to attend Emerson College. Stokes will major in Communication with a minor in Public Diplomacy. She feels Emerson College is the perfect place for her to grow and expand. In regards to the future, Stokes plans on eventually producing, and creating her own shows and movies.
