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by Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor (Author)
Find wisdom, inspiration, and new insight in this definitive volume of empowering quotes from the Pan African world.
With over 60 quotations--carefully researched by National Black Cultural Information Trust founder, Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor--Black Voices is your go-to source for powerful words from both famous Black individuals in history and new and lesser-known voices. From this diverse spectrum of perspectives and experiences, gain a deeper understanding of Black culture and history. Some of the inspirational quotes include: "I'm very interested in, 'What does it mean for us to cultivate together?' Community that allows for risk, the risk of knowing someone outside your own boundaries, the risk that is love. There is no love that does not involve risk."--bell hooks, African American feminist scholar "Our youth, our drive, our diversity and openness, our boundless capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future should be ours. But that potential will only be realized if our democracy works. Only if our politics better reflects the decency of our people."
--Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States and the first Black American president Spotlighting Black writers, artists, scholars, politicians, activists, and visionaries from all eras and backgrounds, each quote is accompanied by a short biography of its writer or speaker. This engaging and information-packed book touches on aspects and subjects relevant to Black lives, including and featuring, among many others, the voices of:
- Culture and History: Werewere Liking, author (Cameroon)
- Education and Knowledge: Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo, author, poet, and playwright (Kenya)
- Justice, Civil Rights, and Human Rights: Ida B. Wells, journalist and activist (USA)
- Race and Racism: Paul Stephenson, civil rights activist (UK)
- Gender, Feminism, and Womanism: Ketanji Brown Jackson, first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court (USA)
- Peace and Love: Basetsana Kumalo, businesswoman and television personality (South Africa)
- Inspiration, Hope, and Perseverance: Dudley Laws, activist (Canada)
- Freedom and Liberation: Claudia Jones, political activist and cofounder of Notting Hill Carnival (UK)
- Politics: Francia M疵quez, 13th vice president of Colombia
- Blackness: Walter Rodney, scholar and activist (Guyana)
- Pan Africanism: Amy Jacques Garvey, Pan Africanist, journalist, and civil rights activist (Jamaica)
The book also features the lush, vibrant artwork of six Black artists from around the world:
- Affen Segun, Nigerian painter (Instagram: @affensegun)
- Erin K. Robinson, American illustrator (Instagram: @brooklyndolly)
- Gilles Mayk Navangi, Belgian painter, illustrator, and sculptor (Instagram: @ngm_world)
- Nicole Collie, Bahamian painter (Portfolio: nicolecollie.com)
- Rendani Nemakhavhani, South African illustrator, visual artist, and art director (Instagram: @prsdnthoney)
- Uzo Njoku, Nigerian American visual artist (Portfolio: uzonjoku.com)
Black Voices is a must-have reference to Pan African culture and history.
Author Biography
Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor is a cultural communications specialist based in the Washington, DC, area. Aiwuyor is the founder of the National Black Cultural Information Trust, a Pan-African initiative that uses communications, media, and cultural storytelling to share information and resources that correct and challenge cultural misinformation and disinformation surrounding racial/ethnic identity, anti-Blackness, and other false narratives. Their work is centered on embracing collective cultural memories from the Black community and Pan African World as tools for education and solutions.
As an author and cultural storyteller, Aiwuyor's writings about African American cultural heritage and ethnicity have been published and cited across a wide range of publications including Huffington Post, the Business Insider, MSNBC, LA Progressive, and TV One's News One Now. She publishes children's books celebrating Black life and culture with her publishing company, Our Legaci Press.
Additionally, Aiwuyor is a leader and advocate for multicultural digital media. She is the founder of Black Bloggers Connect, the first social network dedicated to supporting Black bloggers around the world, and founder the Blogger Week Un/Conference, a multi-cultural social media networking conference held yearly in Washington, DC. Her TikTok videos correcting misconceptions about Black history have gained hundreds of thousands of likes, e.g. Major Examples of Fake Black History.
