Many are familiar with Whitney Houston’s timeless role as the fairy godmother in Cinderella. In real life, there is Simone Gordon, whose generous deeds around the world earned her the moniker Black Fairy Godmother, which spawned her award-winning nonprofit foundation of the same name. The New Jersey-based organization is holding its 3rd annual Purple Diamond Awards on November 5 at the Newark Museum of Art, which will honor 8 … Read the rest
A goal for the new picture book Ambitious Girl (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, January 19, 2020) by New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ niece, Meena Harris, is to cease the limitation of girls’ expectations and opportunities, says the illustrator Marissa Valdez.
“This whole book, Ambitious Girl, is kind of based around Meena’s aunt Kamala Harris and how people … Read the rest
Award-winning journalist, serial entrepreneur, author, and founder of The Black Shopping Networks Janice McLean DeLoatch has always been motivated to defy racial stereotypes, especially for the sake of her children. “I always wanted them to see that Black people do work hard,” she tells So Booking Cool. “And I know they’re not looking at it in terms of my color, but there’s always been in the back of some people’s … Read the rest
Voice is a common thread in So Booking Cool’s conversation with bestselling, critically acclaimed children’s book author, Lisa Moore Ramée. There’s the beloved ‘Shay’, Ramée’s debut protagonist from A Good Kind of Trouble (which has garnered renewed interest and now an Indie bestseller in paperback), whose voice has been praised and prompted whether it is important for Ramée to create resonant voices within her characters; there’s Ramée sharing the time … Read the rest
The Animal People documentary raises conversations about activism and using one’s voice. While it may seem easy to connect the two, there are strong opinions about there being a difference between a Twitter Warrior and an activist, the belief that social issues and causes are more than hashtags, and praise should be reserved for those who are actively working to make change, whether they choose to broadcast it or not. … Read the rest
Many of us are aware that rejection is often part of the process of trying to get one’s manuscript published. Some aspiring authors give up, some don’t and are eventually published, and some decide to self-publish. As a self-published author (The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training) and publishing professional, Rob Price is intimately aware of these circumstances and was inspired to make a difference. He re-branded his publishing … Read the rest
It is a fact of life that some people do not watch the news because they find it depressing. It is another fact that many people are fascinated by conspiracy theories such as the Illuminati. Award-winning journalist of 30 years and author of the new book, Truthteller: An Investigative Reporter’s Journey Through the World of Truth Prevention, Fake News and Conspiracy Theories (Exisle Publishing, May 7), … Read the rest
It’s no secret that influencers have become a part of marketing and publicity campaigns. If you have a platform with reach, there is a chance that many businesses will be interested—as well as the masses. What is the key to influencing? Natural hair influencer Tara Gyemibi aka Mz Tara Bell says it’s about authenticity. “I believe you have to be authentic and you have to be very genuine,” Gyemibi told … Read the rest
When you have the pleasure of chatting with Kate Napolitano, two things become abundantly clear about the senior book editor: she is as passionate about books and loves hyping them up as she says she does; and two, she is a go-getter. Originally, the editor of You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson, wanted to be a teacher, but … Read the rest
While schools like Harvard and Yale, along with architects, are among those who’ve been highly receptive to the Blu Notebook, the product’s creator, Tanya, says it is for anyone who desires unique expression. The goal is also for people to hone their creativity in their spare time. “So, with the Blu Notebook, we’re really trying to start a new movement to move away from our over-reliance on … Read the rest
