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by Catherine Joy White (Author)
**Winner of the 2025 Zora Award for Nonfiction**
"Beautiful... A gift to ourselves and to the world."-- Mikki Kendall, New York Times bestselling author of Hood Feminism From gender adviser to the UN Catherine Joy White comes This Thread of Gold, a lyrical celebration of the history of Black women who challenged stereotypes through film, politics, activism, and beyond. This immersive and empowering read blends history, reporting, and personal stories to weave a gorgeous tapestry from the resilience of Black women. As White writes, "Black women are not victims. Black women are alchemists, spinning gold from a life of hardship. . . . This book is dedicated solely to Black women surviving, thriving, and glowing." White's book features revolutionary women from across time and space, liberating them from reductive stereotypes like "the strong Black woman," and allowing space for emotional nuance, individual motivation, and richness of expression. White offers fresh insights into the work of Beyoncé and Nina Simone, Shirley Chisholm and Meghan Markle, as well as the work of those who resisted in secret--in kitchens, in churches, and through trusted networks. By weaving these women together, White reveals new ways to understand Black womanhood and she is sure to inspire new generations of readers.Author Biography
Catherine Joy White is an actor, writer, filmmaker, and founder and CEO of the award-winning Kusini Productions, a company established to champion the voices of Black women. She is a gender adviser to the United Nations, and she has been honored as a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2022. She starred in Amazon Prime's Ten Percent (the UK adaptation of Call My Agent!) and worked on the latest season of Black Mirror alongside Salma Hayek Pinault. Her films have been funded by the BFI and the BBC, and have won awards at BAFTA and Oscar-qualifying festivals worldwide. She wrote and directed To My Daughter, a film starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, which was adapted from a chapter in This Thread of Gold. She has a master's degree in women's studies from the University of Oxford and an undergraduate degree from the University of Warwick. She lives in Oxford and this is her debut book.
