Black History Month is the perfect time to discover new media from voices and minds from across the diaspora. I love a good podcast, a robust fashion magazine and books that transport me to another time, city or perspective. And between you and me, I'm absolutely a TV-holic!
I highly recommend adding these publications, shows, films and podcasts to your media library to enrich your knowledge of fashion, the arts and the world.
Here's what I've been keeping in my media rotation:
PODCASTS
These are the internet radio (aka podcasts) that I have queued up at all times, touching on beauty, fashion, sports and life in the tall girl lane.
Naked Beauty covers the spectrum of the beauty industry for all ethnicities, from skincare to hair care and everything in between. If there's a treatment you've been curious about, chances are, Brooke has tried it and made an episode about it. She was at Beyonce's Cecred Beauty launch event and she recapped it so well, I felt like I was at the event too!
Black Fashion History tells iconic stories of fashion industry insiders you've likely never heard of but who were significant contributors to memorable fashion moments, like Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress designer, Ann Lowe. Discover some of the best interviews and recaps about the people behind the fashion scenes during the 20th century.
The last 2 – A Tall Girl's Podcast and We Need to Talk NOW – are absolutely TALL girl approved! Yours truly sat down with India of ATGP for a chat last year 🤩
MAGAZINES
Both Harper's Bazaar US and Vogue UK are overseen by Black editors-in-chief, Samira Nasr at HB and Chioma Nnadi at Vogue. These leaders bring a much wider lens to the global fashion landscape. I love reading their letters to the reader each month to understand the story behind the cover and the features within. Read these publications to keep up with the latest and greatest in fashion, beauty and culture.
BOOKS
In their own way, each of these books changed my life.
"Caste" by Isabel Wilkerson helped me understand the cultural nuances of the United States in the context of the entire world, which better equipped me to navigate all that's going on today. Knowing what we're dealing with is half the battle.
"The Coldest Winter Ever" by Sister Souljah is so well written that you feel like you're walking right beside the main character, Winter, as she navigates the ups and downs of a risky life she was born into. It's about the adventure, the hustle, the fashion. Consider it a classic that you'll want to read again and again.
TV
Some of my favorite shows off all time featured 4 women set in NYC: Living Single, Sex and the City, Insecure (LA gets an honorable mention here) and now Harlem. We got 3 seasons of laughs, exquisite fashion and drama, drama, drama that you hope never enters your life.😝
I have always had an interest in stories set during World War 2 (hello, The Notebook!). Maybe because I lived in Germany as a kid, perhaps because it was a pivotal time in my grandparents' lives, perhaps it was the fully dressed, head to toe styling of the day (a truly iconic period in fashion history). I have not yet seen The Six Triple Eight (it's on my list!!), HOWEVER, my father who is an Army Veteran thoroughly enjoyed it, and he's not only a history expert, but he's also a tough critic. Let's take his recommendation and make watching this film our homework for the season.
What are you watching, reading and listening to that I should add to my list? I'd love to know! Leave a comment below.
In the meantime, I hope you have found fun and educational Black History events to attend in your local community this month. You've got one week left! This is a time to celebrate a slice of what makes this country and world a beautiful place to be.
Learn something new. Enjoy the festivities. Share the rich history so the next generation can honor it too.
