As summer starts winding down these BIPOC leaders are heating things up. From delightful cooking shows we’re catching up on to beautiful words that strike our soul, these are the women breathing life and knowledge into our lives.
READING
THE DEATH OF VIVEK OJI, AKWAEKE EMEZI
“Emezi offers a richly textured depiction of a middle-class community in Nigeria . . . Vividly written and deeply affecting.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Akwaeke is both a young adult and adult fiction author whose work has caught the eye the New York Times Notable Book, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Her newest book looks chock full of heart-wrenching truth set in Africa, a place that already has our hearts.
LISTENING
“Let’s Go Together” is the latest podcast we can’t put down. Let’s face it, we’re all daydreaming of travel. In this podcast, Kellee Edwards talks inclusivity and travel with episodes like “Female Travelers Going Solo” and “Black Travelers Breaking Barriers”. See the world through someone else’s lens and take a trip from your home as they talk amazing feats and unprecedented journeys.
SHOPPING
Now is no time for tight pants and uncomfortable business attire. But we also don’t have to sacrifice looks for comfort. Which is why we’re obsessing over Something by Sonjia. The former Project Runway contestant has the “Paperbag” look nailed. Skirts, pants, and shorts that look like you could live in them are as high fashion as they are functional. And don’t even get us started on the hats and headwraps that can take any “haven’t washed my hair in an unknown number of days” style and make it look chic.
LEARNING
After George Floyd was murdered, Brit Baron, like so many black women, was approached with the question “What do I do?” Well-intending as the inquiry was, this meant there was a deep need for education, so Brit sought to fill the void. Her Understanding Racism 101 course is now available at two price points. One for group learning and one for individual learning. It’s important that we don’t expect people of Color to educate us in the areas of racism for free. Women like Brit deserve our time, attention and money for the willingness to bring us all closer together. Her book Worth It is also now available!
QUOTING
Shirin Eskandani of Wholehearted Coaching is an opera singer turned coach. Her words of wisdom and intuition are powerful doses everyone could use. Her course, her Instagram page, and her podcast are wake up calls for anyone who feels they haven’t been as successful as they like or haven’t achieved the happiness they desire. Wherever you’re coming from, whoever you are, Shirin will inspire you.
WATCHING
In the same way we’re missing travel we’re also missing food. And while Zac Effron’s new travel and food show gives us a lot to… look at, Padma Lakshmi’s “Taste the Nation” gives us serious food for thought. The Top Chef host not only introduces us to great eats in unknown places, but she also shows us the culture, the history, and the heart that have gone into so many dishes and traditions.