To Be Clear: Dawn Montgomery is Just Getting Started

May 21, 2025

Dawn Montgomery learned early that her voice could protect her or move mountains. At just 8 years old, she testified in open court against her father, who had been sexually abusing her. The decision to speak up — sparked by a concerned classmate and a teacher who took her seriously — shook her family. But even then, Montgomery understood the power of telling the truth and standing by it.

“I stood on what I said. I didn’t ever change anything,” she said. That moment became the foundation for everything that followed — personally, politically and professionally.

Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and raised between Ohio and the Deep South, Montgomery’s path to media was shaped by survival and storytelling. She earned an associate’s degree from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and later a bachelor’s from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.

Dawn Montgomery stands to the side of a blueish backdrop wearing a black dress.

Photo by Okayplayer.

Her media journey started with a red pencil and her grandmother’s community columns for the local paper. By age 12, she was editing articles about local issues and advocacy. “I got a job. I got responsibilities,” she recalled. “You can’t say nothing to me in school now.”

Montgomery didn’t arrive in journalism through a straight line. Before reporting, she spent 15 years modeling. She traveled the world, appeared in fashion campaigns, and even graced the coveted page 43 of JET magazine as a Beauty of the Week. After stepping away from modeling, she shifted into media and quickly built a reputation as a sharp, community-focused voice in sports and culture.

In recent years, Montgomery has continued building her voice across journalism, strategy, and cultural commentary, growing a dedicated audience on X (formerly Twitter). She’s worked with legacy media outlets, consulted for nonprofits and businesses, and stayed active in the sports world she’s long been part of.

Photo by Okayplayer.

In 2023, she exited as host of the podcast Monuments to Me at Revolt in response to the sexual assault allegations against Diddy. Never one to go quietly, Montgomery posted a viral statement announcing not only that she was leaving the podcast, but why — making it clear that she believes survivors. “It was literally either I’m going to say something or I’m going to shrink,” she told Okayplayer.

Along with her journalism career, her experience as a survivor grounds her latest project. To Be Clear is a new podcast she co-hosts with spiritual wellness advocate Freddie Israel. Launching this month on the Okayplayer network, the show explores culture, healing, identity and what it means to speak truth in a world that often punishes transparency.

The first season of To Be Clear will feature solo episodes, guest interviews, and deep conversations between Montgomery and Israel. Their focus is on lived experiences of surviving, evolving, and creating space for others to do the same. Montgomery doesn’t promise perfection, but she does promise authenticity and space to feel human.

For Montgomery, To Be Clear isn’t just a podcast. It’s a continuation of her life’s work: speaking up and honoring truth tellers.

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