The Bluest Eye was one of the first books I read after college, when I sought to widen my knowledge of Black women writers on my own after searching for myself in a mostly white curriculum.

It’s September, which is the perfect time to delve into a book by bell hooks. The Black feminist literary legend was born on September 25th. If you’re a fan of Black feminist literature and you haven’t read Sister of the Yam, what are you waiting for? You can join the Spoken Black Girl Community and read in community!

Out of all of the literature I’ve read, it has been the voices of gay, queer, and lesbian Black women who have made the most profound impact on my thinking and writing, shaping narratives and breaking boundaries with their unique perspectives and powerful storytelling.

With Black Women Writers Week coming up, I bet you’re wondering how best to support the Black woman writers you know and love. Well, I have 10 different ways that you can support Black women writers today!

It’s no coincidence that people everywhere have been picking up Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. It reads like an eerily accurate account of the confusing and frightening times we live in.

Write Heal Thrive was born out of my desire for close literary community. As a writer, I know that this journey can be a lonely one, no matter what stage you find yourself at. I’ve had so many formative literary experiences in my years working in publishing and nonprofit communications that I really want to share with more writers, especially Black women writers.

We are pleased to introduce the newest group of contributors to Spoken Black Girl Magazine Issue 5: Motherhood. Read about them and follow their journeys!