A transgender writer, producer, and activist, Mock will receive the prestigious Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 2020 GLAAD Media Awards in March. “There are too many centuries of mothers loving their mothers,” she writes, “and I will be the first one to love myself more than I love my mother.”. Amanda Edwards/Getty Images for Discovery, Inc. Her other areas of focus have been mental health, fighting substance abuse, and paid internships for city high school students. "I have a ton of mentees. Responses ranged from Audre Lorde to Junot Diaz (yep -- he writes poems, or at least “poetic quotes,” too! A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. In an interview with Forbes, she said of her documentary, "Black women and the magic we create is the inspiration behind this film. In 2017, when Alyssa Milano retweeted the hashtag #MeToo, the movement exploded, becoming synonymous with the Harvey Weinstein case. It is an act that can be met with hostility, exclusion, and violence. This past year, she wrote and produced the crime film "Queen & Slim," which is out in theatres now. search. She made her international debut walking for Saint Laurent during Paris Fashion Week, and in 2019, she was named Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. Newsletters may offer personalized content or advertisements. She's now president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) — the first black woman to lead a top-ranked research university. Like what you see here? In an interview with Ark Republic, she said, "Students in foster care often fall behind in school and have some of the worst education outcomes in the country. In an interview with Michelin Guide, she said, "Thinking about [being] the only Black woman doing this is really, still very much so, blowing my mind. Be confident that you can do it. Centered on healing and building community, Salt reminds us that one of the most important lessons we can learn from a text is that whatever you are going through, you are not alone. She became the first black female president of Spelman College from 1987 to 1997 and was president of Bennett College from 2002 to 2007. "You are going to hear 'no' in life no matter what you do. Among her many accolades, Parker was recently published in an anthology focusing on poetry in the age of hip-hop. You just have to keep pushing and persevering. Harry How/Getty Images/Samir Hussein/WireImage, Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc/Getty Images. first black female president of Spelman College, Police killings of unarmed black Americans could hurt the babies of pregnant black women nearby, West Point is about to graduate its largest class of black women in its 217 year history, Breast cancer takes heavier financial toll and black and rural women. She writes fiction, too -- in 2012 her novel. That to me is a form of activism," she told Vanity Fair. She has also been the Director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African Art. Her first collection, Look, is out this summer, and it catalogues scenes from post-war Iraq and Afghanistan. Both brands focus on inclusion of all sizes, shapes, cultures, gender identities, and more — or "beauty for all." But curling up with her writing is wonderful, too; her latest published poetry is an epic-length narrative poem, Brand New Ancients. And -- just to prove she’s truly a jack-of-all-trades -- she has a novel coming out this May. Below are our favorite women poets working today, in honor of Women's History Month. At the Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, she said, "I'm interested in the lives of Black folk as the subject. Responses ranged from Audre Lorde to Junot Diaz (yep -- he writes poems, or at least “poetic quotes,” too! In 2018, she was named a Soros Equality Fellow by Open Society Foundations and created Black Trans Circle, which focuses on promoting leadership for black trans women in the South and Midwest. She continues to fight for survivors, writing a recent Time article on the importance of political candidates recognizing sexual assault victims as voters. And she's paying it forward: Waithe hopes to pass on her learnings to the next generation of filmmakers. Her voice is song-like and powerful, moving the issues she writes about forward without wavering. These women represent excellence in entertainment, sports, culinary arts, politics, and more. "Believe in yourself. “In the midst of your family guessing, you came out as a blessing. Along with her work as a musician, Lizzo has been a champion for body positivity. Subscribe to our daily newsletter to get more of it. In an interview with Kara Swisher, she said, "I think my biggest job for me, because this is why I got into politics in the first place, is honestly to really change the future of San Francisco to make sure that people who, sadly, grow up in poverty don't have to have the kinds of experiences that I had to have growing up in San Francisco.". Williams is a California-based education innovator. Watched it throughout my childhood wishing I was a dalek," she wrote. Reading one of Meitner’s poems feels like having an intimate talk with a close friend over dinner; revealing the details of romantic encounters, and musing about the value of poetry. Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth -- Warsan Shire. She shared the news in a Facebook post in January. Poets.org Donate Donate. “Okay so I’m Black in America right and I walk into a bar,”. Her Fenty brand foundation comes in 40 different shades from light to dark, a huge step for representation in a generally whitewashed beauty industry. Touching on themes such as love, loss, and understanding one’s purpose in life, Leav’s work helps those struggling to find their own way. "Protection during maternity isn't just limited to Olympians; working women all over the US deserve protection when they have children. Memories is a collection of all of Leav’s previous work — “the best of Lullabies and Love & Misadventures” to be exact — that will serve as a good catch up guide before the release of her latest collection of poems, The Universe of Us, on October 4th. A civil rights activist from the Bronx, New York, Burke founded the Me Too campaign in 2006, when she used the phrase to illustrate the ubiquitous nature of sexual violence. Burke was recognized as one of the "Silence Breakers" named as Time's Person of the Year in 2017. In a recent interview with Vogue UK, she spoke on what it means to be a refugee. Her first collection, In 2013, singer and poet Jamila Woods was featured in, we asked writers of color to share their favorite poems. explores black female entrepreneurs  and the work they are doing to pursue their passions. The third season is currently on The CW and runs until March. Account active