Maia Williams poses for a portrait in Mellon Park on Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Shadyside. (Photo by Caleb Kaufman/PublicSource)
I was ready for big-city life after college graduation and 22 years in Pittsburgh. I briefly found that in Los Angeles, before an abrupt “call” home changed everything.
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As a Pittsburgh native, I was ready for all things new after graduating from Carlow University in 2020, and that included moving to a big city. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, I took a leap of faith and visited a longtime friend in Los Angeles. To my surprise, I fell in love with the city and that friend, who would eventually become my husband.
That led me to pivot my New York City plan and move to the West Coast, a part of the country I had never considered. After landing my first “big girl” job at a PR firm, I completed the move to LA in April 2022. I was determined to make the most of the opportunity, and I had two goals in mind: to make my mark in entertainment public relations and to close the long distance chapter of my relationship, which had bloomed since my earlier visit.
Though it was hard to part with family, Pittsburgh did not have what I was searching for at the time. I wanted more opportunity, connection and space to find myself outside of the perception of others. As a writer and creative, I didn’t see a future in Pittsburgh’s entertainment scene. How could I succeed somewhere that didn’t seem to have space for the career I wanted to build? How could I grow beyond the limits of where and how I was raised?
Those questions motivated me to succeed in LA, until they didn’t. I quickly learned that it wasn’t like back home. Transactional, performative and often impersonal relationships were normalized. It made me appreciate candor — I missed the raw honesty of Pittsburghers, people who speak plainly and say what they mean.
In the unfamiliarity of LA, my then-boyfriend became my safe space. He helped me through homesickness, job changes and loneliness. Despite hardships, I adapted and learned to keep up with the hustle and bustle of Southern California. I built genuine friendships and even secured a new job offer. Iced matcha lattes, sunsets on the beach and taking in city views became staples. I had just made it to one long year in LA and started to admire who I was becoming.
The unexpected return
That’s when life took a turn. One day, my future husband got what he described as a call from God: “Go home and you’ll be saved.” We both believe in Christ, so I didn’t question his conviction. I just wasn’t sure it was a call for me. It made me face a tough decision: follow him or stay the course. It was difficult because it felt like my journey in LA had just begun. There was so much more I wanted to accomplish.
In May 2023, we moved back and settled in Wilkinsburg. It felt like a wise thing, but honestly, it was devastating. It hurt saying goodbye to new friends, opportunities and a version of myself I was just starting to know. We both had to start over, reconnect with our families and even each other.
The job market reminded me of the challenges I thought I’d escaped. Pittsburgh’s lack of diversity and opportunity for Black professionals were realities I faced while job searching. The bleak outlook is a common reason Black professionals leave Pittsburgh — and the broader reasons behind their departures are being researched.
In 2024, the Census reported Pittsburgh’s Black population was just 23%, compared to 66% White. This imbalance can indicate why many Black professionals in Pittsburgh seek belonging and opportunity in cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, or D.C, with much larger Black communities.
I also used to think leaving was the only way to grow. I want my experience to challenge that narrative, because success for Black people in Pittsburgh is possible and it does exist.
Rebuilding community
A few months after returning, I secured a remote public relations position in a different state. But I still felt the tension of wanting more for myself in a new city.
While navigating the transition, we decided to visit the Bible Center Church in Homewood and things shifted. It was full of successful Black professionals and entrepreneurs deeply rooted in their faith and in Pittsburgh. It became our home.
Through that community, I began to view Pittsburgh differently. I grew spiritually, emotionally and professionally. In 2024, my husband and I were baptized. Not long after, we got engaged, and in April, we officially tied the knot. The move that pulled me away so I could be closer to him ended in wedding bells back home. In hindsight, I realized the call that brought my husband back was meant for me, too.
Professionally, I leaned into my passion for writing. I transitioned from PR into journalism, something I once hoped to do in LA. I started reporting on stories that mattered to me, the BIPOC communities in Pittsburgh that often go unseen in local media. I recognized that while some Black professionals leave, others are here building equity, creating space and laying the groundwork for the future of Black Pittsburgh. Those stories need to be told and I want to use my skills to tell them.
Growing into a smaller city
While I had once envisioned a journalism career in Los Angeles, I found my beat right here in Pittsburgh. I realized that some of the most powerful stories, especially about Black excellence, weren’t being told. I didn’t need to be in a media capital to make meaningful change.
At first, being home felt like walking through a dream where everything is almost the same, just slightly off. Familiar streets and faces reminded me of who I used to be — but I had also changed in my year away. I had to learn how to show up as the new version of myself, which led to the discovery of a brighter side of Pittsburgh.
This unexpected chapter of my life taught me that sometimes the journey out is what leads us back. God had a better plan for my return. I became the very thing I went to LA searching for. Pittsburgh has grown me and I’m embracing this part of my story.
Maia is a freelance journalist and social justice advocate hoping to use her words to spread awareness and influence change in society. She can be reached at maia.j.will@gmail.com or on X at @Maia_J_.
This article first appeared on PublicSource and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.