I'll have what she's having.
To the Black Women in their Onward Era.
Inward, Outward, ONWARD.
This week and next, we’re diving into one of the most joyful parts of this whole Inward, Outward, Onward thing. We’ve gone in. We’ve gone out. And, now it’s time for us to go ON.
Onward, In Practice
“We can’t be what we can’t see.” - Marian Wright Edelman
In the Onward phase, it’s ALL about personal power; and what happens when a woman stands in her own - feet firmly planted, hand outstretched to bring others along.
It felt fitting that on the final day of Black History Month, we hype the Black Women’s voices we’ve been following and loving with fervor and glee. Their art speaks truth to power, makes us laugh, makes us cry, and everything in between. In short, these women embody Onward energy, full-stop.
We recommend at minimum a follow, and at maximum a paid subscription. No matter what, we hope you enjoy learning about their work, as much as we enjoyed sharing it.
Who they are & Why we love ‘em.
Denayja Reese | Writer, Producer, Culture-Curator
| Don’t Hurt Yourself Book + Film | #NOTIFICATION
Denayja is crazy, sexy, cool vibes all day long - feminine, powerful, big laugh, even bigger ideas.
Earlier this year, Denayja launched
: a weekly exploration of the culture and subcultures that dominate our lives.This is the pop culture recap that doesn’t melt your brain or make you wanna hate yourself. This paired with her weekly Spotify playlists #NOTIFICATION - you’ll feel like your best gf just told you about her favorite finds.
Oh, and if that’s not enough already, her memoir book-film combo Don’t Hurt Yourself is a self-published account of her own healing journey through grief, loss, addiction, and trauma. She of course didn’t just write the book (excellent gift for every young woman in your life, FYI), she also wrote, produced, and starred in an accompanying film which you can enjoy here.
We were lucky to have her join us for our first IRL podcast event back in the day, and her episode stands as one of our most listened to and beloved by our FIA audiences. Peep it here.
Diamonde Williamson | Storyteller, Illustrator, Writer, Visual Artist
| Deeply Personal Journal
Diamonde is our fellow deep feeler, and we can’t tell you how many times we’ve responded, “Thanks for writing this, we really needed it today,” to her regular newsletters.
We find Diamonde to be a true artist’s artist, meaning she is obsessed with and gives insight into the creative process. She documents it, curates spaces to foster it, and is honest about the highs and lows of being a deep feeler and career-creative.
We were lucky enough to be in the audience at the Atlanta screening of Diamonde’s debut doc, Best Friends Not Forever, recounting what happens when best friends break up. Her work hangs in the tensions of modern womanhood, specifically modern black womanhood. She is unafraid to explore grief head-on, sharing her own experiences of healing, revelations, struggles, and inspiration through the lens of her identity and community.
To be with her work is to remind your most inner self that you’re not alone, and also, that living in the deep has some pretty great company.
For our artists, creatives, storytellers, and deep feelers, Diamonde is your girl to follow. And for anyone needing an incredible artist and illustrator to bring your ideas, campaigns, visual storytelling to life, H I R E H E R.
Felicia Pride | Writer, Filmmaker, Podcaster, CEO, “Head Honey”
HONEY CHILE | | “Chile, Please”
OK, this is actually a totally online-only woman-crush relationship, but that’s how ‘in’ we are on Felicia Pride, and what she’s building at HONEY CHILE. We’re willing to be the weirdos professing our love via a public Substack.
Hi Felicia, we think you’re amazing. Thanks for showing us the power of doubling down on your niche, and also that age and experience is our superpower, not our limiter.
Back to the hype: Felicia is the Founder and CEO of HONEY CHILE - an indie media company serving Black women 40+ - Honeys, as she calls them. She is the walking incarnation of what it is to double down on your niche. It’s good for business, it’s good for content, it’s good for your sanity (so we recently learned).
Her work is as mainstream as they come: QUEEN SUGAR, GREY’S ANATOMY, BEL-AIR; but her online documentation of her creative process, what is to come into your own, and double down on who you want to create for, is accessible as hell.
One of the biggest challenges we have found on our own indie creator journey is to quiet the outside noise of the entertainment engine that bigger is better, and instead allow ourselves to be small, intentional, and - dare we say, happy. It’s cost us time, energy, money, and worst of all - our confidence.
Finding Felicia’s
, “Chile, Please”, HONEY CHILE, and personal POVs has brought us so much peace of mind to see someone else doing it her way; and thriving because of it.See it. Be it. Got it.
Loretta Ross | Activist, Public Intellectual, Professor
Calling In Learning Circles | Calling In Book
Where do we start? This could be a post unto itself, because this woman’s work has meant so much to us. In our business, in our documentary, in our own growth as part of the broader humanity.
Loretta Ross is an multi-decade activist, public intellectual (coolest title yet, if you ask us), and professor. She’s also a part-time Atlantan, and with that, all we heard is we get to share the same air.
Loretta is undoubtedly in her Onward era, as her new book, now-revered TED Talk, tenured college professorship, and ongoing Calling In Learning Labs - are here to guide the rest of us into - drum roll please - doing the damn work!
But not in a way that makes you feel slighted, or feel sad about humanity. Actually it’s the opposite; I have a deeper understanding of the systems that got us here - both as the oppressed and the oppressors. Her work is approachable, expansive, and - dare we say - joyful.
This year, Ross debuted her book, Calling In: How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel. You can get your own copy here, join her at an in-person reading, or sign up for her ongoing learning circles. These $5 virtual circles are a testament to keeping her work accessible, and we think that’s cool as hell.
Denayja, Diamonde, Felicia, and Loretta.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of the incredible Black women in our sphere, simply the ones who have been filling us up lately with their own unique flavor of Onward energy. And, we felt compelled to spread the love, so they can fill you up, too.
That being said, who else should we know? Sound off in the comments, DMs, postcards, or carrier pigeons to our home addresses because in this case - more actually is more!
Big love, K+K