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Watch: Female Artists Take Their Fight Against Bigotry on the Road
Three women of color—Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Jessica Sabogal and Melinda James—traveled from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, N.M., to fight what in America is becoming the new normal. And they are using their art to fight back. From May 23 to June 5, the women took a road trip, stopping specifically in small towns to make murals…
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Watch: Meet the Sculptor Whose Work Immortalizes Biggie
What’s nearly 100 pounds and made out of 7,000 sheets of paper? If you guessed a sculpture of one of the greatest rappers of all time, you’d be correct. Let’s talk about the Notorious B.I.G. Influenced by Biggie’s music, Cuban-American artist Felix Semper created a sculpture of the legendary rapper, which took him three months…
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Watch: Remembering Black Radical Women Who Used Art to Start a Revolution
“We think of artists usually in history as European, as male, as being trained in a certain way,” said Rujeko Hockley, co-curator of “We Wanted a Revolution: Black Radical Women, 1965-85,” an exhibition currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum. “We don’t necessarily think of black women making quilts as artists in the South in…
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Watch: Our World in Malcolm X’s Words
Very seldom does one encounter a leader as valiant, sharp and fearless as Malcolm X (aka el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz), born May 19, 1925, in Omaha, Neb., as Malcolm Little. He and his family were terrorized by white supremacists (who would eventually kill his father). During time in jail, Malcolm joined the Nation of Islam and…
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Watch: Laila Ali Knows What She Wants and Will Break Down Any Barrier in Her Way
To be clear: There is no ambiguity about what Laila Ali wants and the path she is willing to take to get there. Nearly two decades ago, Ali wrapped up her knuckles, slipped on boxing gloves and stepped into the ring. She made a life-changing decision—going from being a nail-salon owner to a pro boxer—and…
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Chirlane McCray on ‘the Invisible Disease’
The saying goes, “Healthy mind, healthy body.” But how often do we tend, acknowledge and nurture our mental health? Mental illness shouldn’t be dismissed as something to simply “walk off.” Nor will “manning up” do the job. And being pegged as “crazy” is worlds away from resolving the problem. Mental illness is a disease that…
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Watch: Jessamyn Stanley, the Fat, Black, Queer Femme Who Is Not Your Negro
Jessamyn Stanley describes herself as a fat, black, queer femme. The best part: She couldn’t care less about what you or anyone else thinks. #Winning. Despite the trolls, this yoga instructor-turned-author is “Gucci” (read: Life is good), with a new book, Every Body Yoga; a book tour; and a mammoth social media following. Stanley oozes…
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Watch: Damaris Lewis, Prince’s ‘Black Muse’
Once a Prince muse, always a Prince muse. Model Damaris Lewis met Prince in 2010 after receiving a strange call from his manager: An unnamed artist wanted to meet her. The end. Lewis agreed, and weeks later, Prince invited her on his Welcome 2 Australia tour (after she said no to an earlier invitation to…
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Watch: Michelle Carter, the Shot-Put Diva, on Loving Your Body, No Matter Your Size
USA Track & Field star Michelle Carter walks into any space exuding confidence, with a bright smile, carefully combed tresses and a freshly beat face. Carter is the 2016 Olympic gold medalist in the women’s shot put and an entrepreneur. Can you say, #BlackGirlMagic? But life hasn’t always been a crystal stair for this three-time…
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On Maya Angelou’s Birthday, Black Girls Breathe Life Into Her Words
“If I had my druthers, I’d rather be born black, American, female and in the 20th century. And I was. What luck I have,” said Maya Angelou in 2010. With these words, Angelou spoke with the White House on the cusp of receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian honor in the United States,…
