The Brown Girls Do It Newsletter #4
This week, we're finding joy where we can, celebrating the Black writers who've won Pulitzer Prizes and sharing the amazing work being done by ROOT-ed Zine.
Hey everyone!
We’re sending our love to you all this week. We’re both still reeling from the fact that here in the UK, the death toll for COVID-19 is now the highest in Europe, and our government seems to be absolving itself of any responsibility. With the latest data suggesting that 72% of NHS workers who’ve passed away were people of colour, it’s a constant reminder that the lives of people of colour are not valued equally in this country.
We need to be sure that we fight for justice and adequate protections for our communities, and if you want to read up more on that, Rianna Raymond-Williams wrote an article for gal-dem called ‘Why I’m fighting for an independent public inquiry into the Covid-19 deaths of people of colour’, which is well worth a read.
There is some great news to get excited about this week, though. Black writers have been recognised for multiple Pulitzer Prizes this year - notable wins include Colson Whitehead for his book The Nickel Boys, Michael R. Jackson for his play A Strange Loop, and Jericho Brown for his poetry collection The Tradition.
This week, we’ve found that we have listeners in the Netherlands, Italy and Canada! We’re still taken aback that we’ve managed to get anyone listening to the podcast who isn’t a close friend of a family member, so thanks so much, we couldn’t do what we do without the amazing community we have around us.
We were supposed to be running a workshop at Glasgow Zine Fest this year, and were gutted when the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. But it’s now online, and we’ll be running a session on how to turn your vague ideas for a podcast project into something a bit more concrete. If you think that might be for you, you can find more info here.
Last week, we had a spotlight on the Kids of Colour Bookshelf - they’ve actually managed to donate all of the books they had available, so if you managed to get your hands on some, do share their work. And do keep an eye out for future books up for grabs for the kids of colour in your life.
Brown Girls Do It Spotlights….ROOT-ed Zine
This week we’re sharing the amazing work being done by the folks over at ROOT-ed Zine. ROOT-ed (Revolution of our Time) is a self-published zine, and social platform, which aims to promote, support and inspire creatives in the North West of England. The project was founded by two artists, Amber Akaunu and Fauziya Johnson during their final year at university studying Fine Art.
You can find out how to support ROOT-ed Zine by visiting their website at https://www.rootedzine.co.uk/, or following them on social media.
ROOT-ed is also looking for submissions over the next few months for their latest issue, so if you want to contribute, please do!
Brown Girls Do It Recommends…
If you’ve got some time on your hands during lockdown, and you’d like some ideas of what to read, watch, or listen to, you’re in luck, because we have some stellar recommendations for you!
Brown Girls Do Books & Articles
“I recently read Malorie Blackman’s essay on the new normal, in which she’s calling for a better, kinder world after the current crisis comes to an end, and I can’t recommend it enough.
In terms of books, I’ve just finished a gorgeous book by writer and activist Blair Imani, Modern HERstory, a collection of stories about the amazing women and non-binary activists working towards making the world a better place. The book shines a spotlight on Native American folks, disabled folks and plenty of Queer and Trans representation, and is a must-read.
I’ve also just finished reading Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, an absolute genius play about race and identity in post-WWII America. I’ve been trying to make my way through classic American plays by writers of colour, because my only knowledge of American theatre came from English Literature, the canon of which was white as all hell. This play felt like a punch in the gut, because even fifty-plus years later, on the other side of the Atlantic, I could relate to the characters.”
Iqra
Brown Girls Do TV & Film
“Me and my mum are obsessed with The Last Dance, a documentary on the legend that is Michael Jordan. It focuses on his last season with the Chicago Bulls but it also covers how he became the star of the NBA. I like that it also focuses on some of the teammates who helped propel the Bulls to stardom, such as Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. I’m not majorly into basketball but I do love a documentary on a pop culture moment and behind the scenes drama. We watched one episode and then watched the other five, it’s so highly bingable! It’s on Netflix, and you should watch it!”
Alicia
“Kim’s Convenience is one of my favourite things to watch on Netflix. It’s a wholesome and funny sitcom about a Korean-Canadian family running a convenience store in Toronto. The tender way the show treats parent-child relationships is wonderful, and it’s one of the best representations of immigrant life I’ve ever come across.”
Iqra
Brown Girls Do Music and Podcasts
“So Megan Thee Stallion and Queen Bey made my week by dropping the Savage remix. It’s like they knew I needed something to lift my spirits so they dropped a summer anthem. Unfortunately, we can’t dance to it in the club so my kitchen and bedroom will have to do. Enjoy! ***raises glass***”
Alicia
“Ages ago, my good friend Francesca introduced me to Art Matters, an absolute gem of a podcast by Ferren Gipson, an amazing host who makes the UK’s art collections accessible and engaging. She’s a gifted host, who has an amazing way of making centuries-old art relevant and exciting, and you absolutely HAVE to listen.”
Iqra
Brown Girls Do It Episode Update!
Have you listened to the latest episode? We talk about the origins of race science in the UK; why the British Museum is a symbol of the power inequalities that allowed race science to flourish in the UK; and how Angela Saini, the journalist who wrote the amazing Superior: The Return of Race Science, is dealing with all the racist backlash.
You can check the episode out here:
...or wherever you get your podcasts! We’re on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, PodBean, all the usual places.
Make sure you like or follow us on all the socials (just search @browngirlsdoit and you’ll find us) and tell all your friends about this newsletter! Stay safe!
All our love,
Alicia & Iqra