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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.
Dear Spoken Black Girl Readers,
The time has come once again to make our voices known and heard in this great American literary cannon that we as Black women writers are an integral part of, no matter how much the powers that be wish for our silence. At SBG, we will persist in publishing voices that exhibit exceptional literary merit, while also embodying the heart of Spoken Black Girl’s mission to uplift mental health. This issue goes deeper than your typical beauty magazine.
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!
The MFA (Master of Fine Arts) is one of the most highly debated degrees. Do you really need it to be a successful writer? The definitive answer is no. You don’t. I’ve been telling writers for years that you don’t need an MFA to be successful—and now, in the second year of my MFA, I still maintain the same opinion.
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.
While sitting with these quotes, I realized that I’m grateful for every woman who ever took the time to care for herself, and love herself even if that’s not what she was taught growing up. So many of the writers below echo the sentiment that mothers are out first mirrors, the individuals who teach us how to love.
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.
It’s more important than ever that we pour into our communities and support small businesses. One great way to do this is to shop Black-Owned for the holidays. I hope you check out the shops of all of the proud sellers on this list. You’re bound to find the perfect gift for your friends and loved ones!
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.
I hope this message finds you well. I apologize for a later than usual September Newsletter. I’ve had the busiest first week of September ever as a student and a mom. This month, we uplift Suicide Awareness, one of the founding causes of Spoken Black Girl
I found her beautiful voice on ACX and I didn’t even know she was Guyanese at first! We instantly connected over the book and our mutual passion for telling more diverse stories, especially those representing the global Caribbean Diaspora. I’ve interviewed Rukiya below. I hope her journey can inspire you! Plus, I have included a sneak peek of Departure Story, the audiobook!
As the summer months roll in, let’s celebrate Vitamin D3 season! Our bodies naturally generate vitamin D3 when we get lots of sunlight, but did you know that melanated folks tend to produce less D3? Fortunately, Black Girl Vitamins has a supplement that gives us our full daily dose of D3 every day, rain or shine!
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!
Today we’re talking to actress, producer, and multitalented creative, Andrea Lewis. Andrea Lewis is the Executive Producer of The Black Beauty Effect on Netflix.
Marsai Martin continues to shine a light on a unique style of beauty in her “Four Eyes Are Better Than Two” collection of eyeglasses from GlassesUSA.
When the world is in trouble, we readers, writers, and artists often reach for voices of solace to guide us through. No one has ever given me as much faith as the voices of our Black women writer ancestors.
Mental Health
I promised myself that I would not have postpartum depression this time, as if that’s a thing you can promise yourself. The truth is, it’s beyond our control. No person who has ever experienced a mental health challenge could control it, or we would choose not to. Your body has experienced a great shift
We’ve all heard of getting butterflies in your stomach when you feel nervous, so it should be no surprise that when you’re taking care of your mental health, good gut health is a must. After all, our gut is our second brain. There’s so much to explore when it comes to the connection between gut health and mental health, including the connection between gut health, autism, and ADHD.
By understanding the foundations of our society, we understand that this trauma has shifted DNA, familial patterns, mental health, societal roles, and daily experiences. Understanding the history and the foundations of our society is necessary to understand the complex ways in which these formative actions impact mental health. The dance of injustice has been a long narrative in this country and has shaped the mental health of a people.
What originally began as a brief visit quickly became a sister circle where vulnerability and support converged to create a healing experience none of us knew we needed. We spent the next several hours, yes hours, discussing relationships (familial and romantic), trauma, forgiveness, self-worth, and other topics important to women.
I recently revealed on my popular Instagram reel show: Search for Serotonin that I went on a date. People in my DMs congratulated me and said they were proud of me for taking this step. I thought it was funny all the fuss people made, but I had been very vocal about not trusting anyone ever again and remaining single to protect myself. And now here I am, allowing a man to give me butterflies.
When most people think of a person with Autism, they think of a white male. My second child is an African American female. This is our story. From the moment my husband and I brought her home from the hospital, she was extremely sensitive to light and sound.
PTSD nightmares are a reality for many survivors of trauma, whether you experienced trauma yourself or witnessed a traumatic incident. Every day millions of people are impacted by PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which can affect anyone who has experienced physical or psychological trauma.
As a full-time student and international student dealing with depression and anxiety daily, it is a struggle, primarily when you continually deal with hardships: homesickness, social difference, and all-around stress. Sometimes there are difficulties within people. Students who have experienced anxiousness or depressed feelings should know that they are not alone. It merely is not uncommon to feel this way—in particular, being involved in the university community.
More than ever, individuals are beginning to reclaim their power and understand the importance of personal wellness and caring for one’s mental health. This is especially important for Black women, as we are often expected to go above and beyond in the workplace. We are seen as most useful because of our labor, and our humanity is rarely taken into account.
Personal Essays
It is an undeniable truth that Black children are born with a target on their backs. That target gets even bigger when those children learn more about themselves and realize that they are trans.
I often wondered—was I being judged, or was I the one casting the harshest gaze on myself? I was lost in my insecurities, watching my life curve down a path I never intended. I thought I had done everything right, yet I found myself in the place I feared the most: single motherhood.
What originally began as a brief visit quickly became a sister circle where vulnerability and support converged to create a healing experience none of us knew we needed. We spent the next several hours, yes hours, discussing relationships (familial and romantic), trauma, forgiveness, self-worth, and other topics important to women.
“It was only when I began to write in my diary to push that memory into the farthest part of my
mind that my metamorphosis gradually, like sand in an hourglass, came. Writing became a
therapeutic offering to myself as I chipped away at those parts of my life that were so confusing,
so ugly, so unkind.”
This is a Black girl rite of passage. We all have to endure the pains that come with “getting your hair done”. We’ve been taught there’s a certain amount of discomfort, from the tight pull of a braid to the burn of a relaxer or hot comb, that is to be expected. We suffer for beauty, and yet we’re still criticized and politicized for the choices we make when it comes to our hair.
After listening to Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah, I couldn’t stop thinking about Meghan identifying herself as a Black woman. I highlight this because, in my ignorance of what I know about The Crown, I would never have imagined at first sight that Megan could be considered a Black woman. However, having watched the whole interview, so many questions and the thirst for further investigation came to my mind.
As Black women, we have a habit of being everyone’s superhero and protector but for ourselves. There is one thing for sure: we, as Black women, are human beings: we’re vibrant, resilient, resourceful self-sacrificing humans. However, especially as humans we have the habit of saving everyone and then us.
I understand I cannot control my familial circumstances. I was adopted into a household of Christianity and emotional abuse. Black womanhood and toxic masculinity. Enmeshment and unavailability. Nor can I undo my family environment where I was rooted in Black superwoman strength and performance under all circumstances. And I definitely cannot forget the ways in which I was raised to be a “good girl”, obey, be nice, and one day, get married.
I walked away from violence and today I am here, many years after all that tragedy, stronger than ever, raw, with memories and marks in my mind and soul that would never disappear. They are emotional scars that I am not sure I could ever delete from myself. But I also have no regrets about the things I did. It was never my fault, this was the most important fact for me.
As a writer, I find myself constantly looking for new ideas but also trying to delve deeper into the issues that matter the most to me. I never tire of swirling around the events of the day in my mind - trying to gain a deeper understanding of how I interact with the world. It takes a conscious effort to live with purpose - to be able to act on the ideals that you have formed about yourself and the world around you.
Poetry
I’ve always been weary
of people who are more concerned
with my expression of pain
Than what caused it in the first place.
Today we're joined by a guest! Christie Ann Cruise, Ph.D. is an educator, author, and social justice advocate with a passion for empowering Black women and girls to speak their truths boldly and unapologetically. Her new book, Thick Black Lines, is coming out on June 28, 2024. Join us as we discuss her writing journey with this new book! Be sure to pre-order Thick Black Lines to support this amazing Black woman author! https://www.christieanncruise.com/
I will protect you
I wanna protect what’s mine
I wanna protect because I wasn’t
Protected
Breeze flows through my hair. The clouds are big and puffy.
Podcasts hum in the background and children play outside.
I drift higher and higher as the cool air touches me reaching towards the sky.
A bird passes me and I realize I am flying.
Interview with Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie.
Happy Halloween! To end this month’s theme of Transformation, we present to you three poems from an accomplished and talented poet, Safia Jama.
All the weight of the world is placed upon you as a Black woman.
Especially if you are a Black woman that is well aware of the intricacies of social inequalities.
Is there such a thing as a Black woman that could truly say she isn’t anymore?
As we celebrate the launch of Issue 6 Beauty, let’s reflect on these beauty, self-love and radical liberation quotes by Black women writers. I hope these words will fill your cup and offer encouragement on difficult days. Feel free to bookmark this post to come back again when you need inspiration.