Issue No. 59
Nonfiction November, Podcast Merch, and Voting
🎙️podcast poll at the end!
100 Historic Black Women Podcast Highlights
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!
No. 10: Barbara Jordan
Barbara Jordan stood before the U.S. House of Representatives with a commanding presence and a voice that could move mountains. In an era where both her race and gender were seen as obstacles, Jordan didn’t just break barriers—she shattered them, becoming one of the most respected political figures in American history. But how did a young girl from the segregated South rise to such prominence, leaving a legacy that still echoes today?
No. 9: Toni Morrison
What happens when a Black woman takes the pen, wrestles it from the grip of stereotypes, and reshapes the narrative of American literature? You get Toni Morrison—the powerhouse who transformed the literary world forever.
No. 8: Mamie Till-Mobley
What would you do if the world wanted to bury the truth about your child? In 1955, Mamie Till made an unimaginable decision that would change the course of American history. When her 14-year-old son, Emmett, was brutally lynched, Mamie’s courageous choice to show the world what had happened sparked the Civil Rights Movement. Her bravery wasn’t just about grief—it was a deliberate act of resistance that forced a nation to confront its deepest sins.
No. 7: Dr. Merze Tate
This woman was not only a pioneering scholar who traveled the world documenting international diplomacy but also preserved the untold stories of Black women’s experiences in America. Merze Tate did all this and more, breaking barriers in academia and launching a Black Women’s Oral History Project that ensured our voices would never be forgotten. Her legacy is a bridge between global scholarship and the intimate, powerful stories of Black women’s lives.
No. 6: Myrlie Evers-Williams
What does it mean to transform tragedy into triumph? When Myrlie Evers-Williams lost her husband, civil rights activist Medgar Evers, to a brutal assassination in 1963, she did more than grieve—she became a symbol of resilience, justice, and the relentless pursuit of equality. Her determination to continue the fight for civil rights made her a leader in her own right, a force that refused to be silenced.
No. 5: Dr. Phyllis Ann Wallace
What if the data you uncovered could change the lives of millions? Phyllis Ann Wallace did just that, using her skills as an economist to fight against workplace discrimination and transform hiring practices in America. Her research was not just about numbers—it was about justice.
No. 4: Katherine Johnson
Imagine calculating the exact trajectories for the first human spaceflight, knowing that one small error could send the entire mission veering off course. Now, imagine doing it as one of the few Black women in the room, at a time when segregation was still the norm. That was Katherine Johnson—a mathematician whose calculations changed the history of space exploration.
📖 Currently Reading
I just finished reading Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future by Jason Stanley. If you’re a US Citizen–please, vote.
📚 Nonfiction November
It’s nonfiction November and this week’s list is for people who don’t frequent this genre or want books that read like fiction. Let me know if you’ve read any of these!
Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me by Whoopi Goldberg
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Gran
Born A Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
What are some books you plan on reading this nonfiction November?
with care,
p.s. we’re developing podcast merch! Let us know which you’d prefer in the poll below–thanks
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