Representation and inclusivity matter. Playing with dolls, particularly Barbie, is a large part of childhood for many, but the doll and its clothing haven’t been very representative of all people. Barbie has made some strides recently by introducing dolls with different body shapes, different skin tones, and even dolls with disabilities. One Muslim woman from…
Gabourey Sidibe was probably sent to earth to show the rest of us how to live a truly authentic life. Her physical appearance is, to most people, the thing most remarkable about her. It is antithetical to everything our culture has trained us to value. Obese and dark skinned, she has nevertheless carved out a stellar…
Last week, Nicki Minaj offered via Twitter to pay tuition and student loans for some of her fans. This week, she’s restated her promise to do a repeat batch of giving soon while also announcing a charity devoted to her mission. In a recent post on Instagram, Minaj shared a screenshot of some of the recent payments…
As a deeply modern poet who effortlessly mixes literary style with contemporary slam, Tyehimba Jess is one of the most celebrated American wordsmiths of his generation. After receiving quiet praise for his previous poetry endeavors, Jess received the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his 2016 collection, OLIO. Jess was born in Detroit and raised by…
Nicki Minaj has promoted a number of causes over the years and has made some huge donations. Her latest act of philanthropy took place unexpectedly on Twitter this Saturday night. While tweeting about a lip-synching contest, she mentioned that she makes plenty of money, enough to fly a winner out from anywhere in the world. A user…
One of the most celebrated African-American novelists of our time, Colson Whitehead is now the winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Underground Railroad. With six novels under his belt, Whitehead is known for his genre-bending stories that focus on race, class, commercialism, and American history. Whitehead was born in New York City in…
As a co-founder of two groundbreaking startups, Marie Githinji is using technology to change the world. Githinji knew she wanted to pursue tech from a fairly young age, certainly before she had any awareness that it wasn’t a typical path for a girl. Once she got into the field and started working as…
Lynn Nottage, born in Brooklyn, New York, is an African-American playwright, co-founder of production company Market Road films, and writer and producer for the Netflix series, She’s Gotta Have It. Her work usually speaks for the exploited and working class, and incorporate the lives of African and African-American women. Nottage has just recently been awarded…
A UN-Sponsored Organization In 1997, the United Nations helped several organizations combine their resources to found the African Women’s Alliance (“the AWA”). This international nonprofit enterprise draws upon the talents of African women residing in their own nations and across the world. It was incorporated in 2001 as a nonprofit organization. Its members hope to enhance the lives…
Esi Edugyan is an award-winning novelist whose cultural heritage and diverse education fuels her rich stories of history, race, and finding one’s place in the world. Born in 1977 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Edugyan began writing poetry as a teenager and her talents were soon recognized by a high school teacher. She started her…
