Author, playwright, screenwriter and film director Holly Charles-Pearson finds extraordinary stories in the ordinary experience of people of color. The talented writer is exceptionally skilled in creating relevant and culturally sensitive content to engage and inform audiences. As a self-proclaimed literary activist, she uses storytelling as a tool for exploring and humanizing the experiences of people who are marginalized.

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Charles-Pearson became an educator, creating coursework in specialized areas such as Creative Writing, Harlem Renaissance & African American Literature and the African American Experience Through Theater (University of Houston). She received her Bachelor of Arts in telecommunications from Purdue University with a concentration in production and writing, with an African American Studies minor to supplement her skill set. She went on to obtain her English Masters from Prairie View A&M University in 2013 and turned her Masters thesis into the book Velvet, concerning the plight of the African American woman. The book led to multiple literary talks, panel discussions and a TEDx Talk (Being My Mothers Daughter, 2019). 

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In 2018, Charles-Pearson founded and launched the nonprofit theater company Houston Play On Purpose, where she writes, produces and directs stage productions focusing on social justice and the underserved needs of minorities. Past productions include In All Thy Getting: The Forgotten Story of Freedmen’s Town (2017), a stage play celebrating the triumphant rise of an ex-slave settlement in Fourth Ward Houston, 2018’s I’m Still a Woman, an episodic stage play aimed at raising awareness concerning the growing, yet taboo issue of infertility in women of color and 2019’s groundbreaking Black, White & Sunshine, which shed light on the disproportionality of minority children swept into both the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Not only did she found HPOP and serve as resident playwright, director, producer and spokesperson, but she also honed a new skill as HPOP’s publicist, landing several appearances on media platforms ranging from Fox, ABC, Radio One and more.

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In 2018, Charles-Pearson’s PR experience led to recruitment by one of Houston’s top 20 PR Firms, Misty Blue Media. As a Publicist and Account Manager for the premier PR Firm, she had the privilege of serving a multitude of clients from Entertainment to Corporate.

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While Charles-Pearson always finds a way to incorporate research, history and activism throughout her work, she also embeds sarcasm, wit and humor. This style can be witnessed in her most recent film project, the alternate history short If They Took Us Back. The provocative think-piece is currently finding success on the film festival circuit, and Charles-Pearson was named Best Female Director at the Black Indie Filmmakers Association Film Festival.