In 2019, Ibram X. Kendi released the book How to be an Antiracist. In the book, Kendi argues that antiracism is, in layman’s terms, an action or policy that is specifically meant to deconstruct racism and racial prejudice. Various other Black
Hannah Sawyerr is a Sierra Leonean-American author and an MFA candidate at the New School for creative writing. In 2016, Sawyerr was named the Youth Poet Laureate of Baltimore. Sawyerr’s poetry has been featured on the British Broadcasting Channel and
Talking about racism with children is hard. For many teachers, parents and mentors, finding a good way to tell a child of color that the world might see them differently because of the color of their skin feels impossible. But
Chinua Achebe, the great Nigerian novelist, once said; “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” The saying conveys a sad truth: that the people who teach history share only the
In the opening to her groundbreaking essay collection, Thick: And Other Essays, Tressie McMillan Cottom writes, “I was pregnant at thirty. Divorced at thirty-one. Lost at thirty-two.” McMillan Cottom’s Thick chronicles the challenges Black women face in trying to make a space
It is easy to write a story coming from one’s own experience. It takes a truly skilled writer to accurately record the experiences of a character outside one’s own identity. Written as a dual perspective story, Kiley Reid’s novel Such
In this episode of the Sunday Read, Abesi Manyando reads excerpts from her children’s book Jarvais Po and the Secret Adventures of a Potato.
Maryam Azeeza Muhammad is a 19-year-old journalism student and poet attending Temple University in Philadelphia. She is the author of the book Bantu Knots and Butterflies: A Written Reflection, a collection of poems in which Muhammad explores spirituality, self-determination and
Vanessa Baden Kelly is an acclaimed actor, screenwriter, and author. Her career began as a child actress on the beloved TeenNick show “Kenan & Kel” and continued acting in movies such as the 2014 drama “Secrets of the Magic City.”
In June 2015, the world discovered Rachel Dolezal, a White woman who pretended to be a Black activist for years. Dolezal’s extended performance as a Black woman is a clear instance of racial “passing.” Racial passing is generally defined as
Leah Johnson’s 2019 novel You Should See Me in a Crown took the world by storm. Named to multiple bestseller lists, critics praised Johnson’s debut work for its realistic depiction of the hurdles a Black, LGBTQ+ teen experiences in high school.
In this edition of the Sunday Read, urban fantasy and science fiction author Brian Thompson shares excerpts from his latest novel, The Nuclear Winter.
Rolling out sits down with actor, screenwriter and writer Vanessa Baden Kelly to discuss her upcoming book, Far Away From Close to Home. In the book, which is a collection of essays, Kelly discusses womanhood, maternity and the lived experience of Black
Rolling out sat down with critically acclaimed writer Okey Ndibe to discuss his literary career, writing process and successes.
Okey Ndibe is an award-winning author and essayist. He published his first novel, Arrows of Rain, in 2000. The New York Times listed Ndibe’s second novel, Foreign Gods Inc., as one of the best books of the year. After finishing
Brian Thompson is a teacher, journalist and prolific writer in the literary genres of urban fantasy and science fiction. He has written several novels including The Lost Testament, Revelation Gate, and his newest book, The Nuclear Winter. Rolling out sat down
Black women are criminally unrepresented in the publishing world. Despite this, Black women have written some of the most influential works of literature in American history. Here are five classic books by Black women that you’ve got to read or
Author of the popular sci-fi and fantasy novels Riot Baby and Beast Made of Night, novelist Tochi Onyebuchi is known for depicting complex social issues in fantastical worlds and settings. Readers will be surprised to learn that Onyebuchi’s latest project will
It is often hard to find science fiction books with Black people as the central characters. That being said, representation matters, and in recent years, Black science fiction has begun to pick up steam with major publishers. Here are five
Rolling out sits down with radio personality and children’s book author Marsha Meadows.
