00:00And we're here at Essence Authors and we're going to be chatting with folks
00:03about what black authors mean to them and how black authors have impacted and
00:08influenced in their lives and are owed to black authors. So come with us as we walk
00:12around the convention center.
00:21One of my favorite like kind of black authors right now in this moment is S.A. Cosby.
00:26That's the kick I'm on right now.
00:28It would have to be Maya Angelou. One because she represents black femininity, black power,
00:33black wellness. All of her work has empowered me to be the woman I am today.
00:37The book that I read for the first time was Russell Simmons' Do You.
00:41Slutty Vegan Comes From Atlanta. I'm working on like changing my diet so I want to see what this is about.
00:47Kennedy Ryan, new favorite author. Forgot. How could I forget? Poor I Let Go. I read this one already.
00:53But perfect book.
00:54So my first book ever black author that I recall, and I probably should have been reading this at a
00:58young age, but it was like Sister Soulja, The Coldest Winter Ever. Just finding like stories that
01:03related to me. Granted, you know, when you're reading a book, you always have to like imagine
01:06the character that you're talking about. But when they have like kinky hair, coily hair,
01:10they have skin that's brown like yours, you know, it's just like you're imagining yourself in that
01:14character.
01:15So thanks so much for joining us for Ode to Black Authors, where we got to share a little bit about
01:19why it's so important to support black authors, and how we're doing it with the Essence Authors
01:24stage right here, right now in New Orleans. So enjoy your Essence Fest.
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