Five Years Later: Mysti Bluee — Actress, Rapper, Activist & Big Rig Driver — Her Legacy Still Lights the Way, Even After COVID’s Darkness
- gschachere
- Jul 24
- 5 min read
The Unfinished Story of a Woman Who Changed Lives On and Off the Stage
By Giovanne Schachere | July 22, 2025
Prologue: The Day the Lights Went Out
Five years ago, on July 22, 2020, the world felt a sudden and devastating void—the kind that lingers when a truly singular soul is taken too soon. In the midst of COVID, when grief was everywhere and loss felt endless, her absence still cut deeper. To some, she was a magnetic actress—lighting up the screen in films like Miles Away, Grim Reaver, Hunter Gatherer, and The Council (which continues to stream today). For others, she was a relentless voice for justice, an open-hearted friend, a comedian, semi-truck driver, bartender, caretaker, and—most importantly—a loving mother of three. To all who really knew her, she was simply Mysti.
Today, on the anniversary of her passing, her story is not a closed book. Instead, it’s a story whose best chapters are still being written by the people, projects, and movements that keep her light burning.
Chapter 1: From Compton to Center Stage
Mysti Bluee’s journey began in the neighborhoods of Southern California, a place she called home even as her spirit soared far beyond. Raised on a diet of classic soul, Sunday sermons, and a mother’s fierce devotion, Mysti discovered early the power of voice—her own and those of her community. She was the kid with a notebook full of lyrics, a heart full of questions, and a boldness that couldn’t be tamed.
By her twenties, Mysti was chasing every kind of stage: poetry slams, theater auditions, truck stops, and open mics. Her path wasn’t linear, and it was never easy—but she made art out of the struggle. Friends recall how she could walk into a room and make everyone laugh, even on the hardest days. “You just couldn’t fake it around Mysti,” said one longtime friend. “She saw right through you, and she made you see yourself.”
Chapter 2: The Artist—Bold, Real, and Unforgettable
Film became Mysti’s breakthrough canvas. As Young Mrs. DeVeaux in Miles Away (2015), she brought quiet depth to a story of longing and hope. In Grim Weaver (2016) and Hunter Gatherer (2016), she mastered both vulnerability and defiance—traits she’d show in life as well as art. Her later roles in The Council (2020) and a string of indie projects only deepened her reputation for authenticity. She wasn’t acting, friends said; she was telling the truth out loud.
But Mysti’s reach went beyond the big screen. Her YouTube series, “A Minute in My Shoes,” brought fans into her world: sometimes hilarious, sometimes raw, always real. Each episode was a one-minute confessional—on racism, motherhood, love, and the simple, daily struggles of being Black and female in America. She let the world see her, flaws and all, and gave countless others the courage to do the same.
Empowerment wasn’t a hashtag for Mysti; it was a daily practice.
Chapter 3: Activism as Art—BLACK.MATTERS
If you ask those closest to her, Mysti’s most important work wasn’t in film or TV, but in her activism. When the country erupted in protest and pain during the summer of 2020, Mysti was at the center, not only marching but also organizing. She became a featured performer in BLACK.MATTERS, a visual protest and spoken-word movement about revolution and solidarity. Her appearance gave voice to unspeakable grief and still managed to hold hope.
Mysti believed the arts and activism were inseparable: that every role, every verse, every post was a protest, a prayer, or both.
Chapter 4: Motherhood—The Root of Her Legacy
Yet, for all her talent and ambition, Mysti Bluee’s proudest role was being a mom. She had three children who were her entire world. She taught them to speak up, to never settle, and to see possibility in every setback. Even as she chased auditions or ran overnight shifts, Mysti never let her kids forget how much they were loved.
Her love wasn’t sentimental—it was a force. It was in the way she defended them, the jokes she told, the homework help, the legendary meatloaf, the hard talks about life and justice. After her passing, her children became both her legacy and her living tribute.
Chapter 5: Grief, Groundwork, and the Movement in Her Name
When Mysti Bluee died in the summer of 2020, her family and friends could have simply mourned and moved on. But grief became groundwork. Her son, Giovanne Schachere, transformed heartbreak into hope, founding Mysti's—an organization carrying her name and mission into the world.
Mysti's is a movement that embodies everything Mysti stood for:
Dignity-first care for families in crisis
Trauma-informed case management rooted in love, not judgment
Housing and reentry programs for people the system leaves behind
Community building through art, advocacy, and celebration
Giovanne and his team, led by Mysti’s example, bring heart to policy and purpose to every project. Every person housed, every youth empowered, every voice uplifted is a living continuation of Mysti’s own activism.
Chapter 6: Five Years Later—Why Mysti Bluee Still Matters
It’s tempting to say Mysti Bluee is gone. But on this fifth anniversary, her spirit feels everywhere. In the laughter of her children. In every Minute in My Shoes replayed on YouTube. In the block parties and caseworker meetings at Mysti's. In the growing coalition of artists, advocates, and allies who carry forward her vision of dignity, justice, and joy.
Mysti Bluee’s legacy is not nostalgia—it’s action. It’s the courage to be real, to be loud, to be loving, to create, to fight for what matters, and to lift up others along the way.
Epilogue: How You Can Carry the Torch
If you are reading this, you are part of Mysti Bluee’s ongoing story.
You can watch and share her videos. On YouTube, you can find A Minute in My Shoes and episodes of The Bleu Cherry Show.
Support Mysti's. Volunteer, donate, or connect someone in need with their services at mystis.org and mysticares.org.
Subscribe to our websites.
Watch the Annual Mysti's Award Show to see our impact in action every December
Speak up and create. Use your own talents, however humble, to make change.
Keep the faith. Mysti believed that even in the darkest moments, there is a reason to hope, to act, and to love. If you're breathing, you're still achieving!
“Everything I do, I do in my mother’s name. Her story doesn’t end here. It lives in every life we touch, every truth we tell, and every change we make.”— Giovanne Schachere
Five years later, Mysti Bluee’s light is undimmed—transforming grief into action, art into impact, and legacy into living hope. Her story is unfinished. Her movement is just beginning.
