La Toya Hankins

La Toya Hankins is a native of North Carolina. She spent her early years in the coastal community of Southport, NC, and graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and currently serves as Vice President of Gamma Xi Phi, a professional arts fraternity. She counts as her literary influences Zora Neale Hurston, Walter Mosley, and Pearl Cleage.