Viola Davis plays president, Trans leaders choose joy, Gun class aims for empowerment
Plus, a new episode of Behind the Byline podcast, LYS scores an eight-figure investment, Amy Sherald paints America at the Whitney, ESPN Black women reporters are killing the game, and more.
The Wakeful in the News
The Wakeful was recently featured in two pieces about Black women-founded newsletters:
Fallon Brannon of Essence GU—Essence Magazine’s sister publication— spoke with me about when, why and how I started the Wakeful, the Substack newsletter economy, and where I see the future of media heading.
Aaricka Washington of AfroLA, a Black woman-founded local news publication (currently celebrating its third anniversary!), interviewed me in her love letter to Black journalist-written newsletters. (You’ll learn about the Toni Morrison-related origins of the newsletter’s name in that one.)
New Behind the Byline
The Black Sisterhood of the Green Velvet Couches, featuring Sharine Taylor
In this clip from the latest episode of Behind the Byline, I’m joined by Sharine Taylor, the award-winning writer, filmmaker, and production designer who wrote that unforgettable Apartment Therapy piece we featured last month: “I Finally Bought a Green Velvet Couch — Then, I Found a Community of Black Women Just Like Me.”
We talk about how the story came to be (like, how did she even discover that green velvet couches were a thing for Black women?), how her set design background shaped her reporting process, and why something as seemingly simple as a couch can hold so much emotional weight, especially for Black women making home in a world that often doesn’t make space for us. Sharine’s reflections on interiority, Black womanhood, and creating intentional spaces, both physically and on the page, are rich, generous, and full of gems.
To hear the full episode, become a paid subscriber and get exclusive access to Behind the Byline, the new Wakeful podcast where I go deep with the brilliant minds behind some of the most-read stories in the newsletter. You’ll also help make this work sustainable and accessible for the long haul.
Paid subscribers, please scroll to the bottom of the newsletter to watch the full episode below the paywall.
ICYMI, I reserve 5 annual comped spots each quarter for anyone who wants one. Just reply to this email, no questions asked! And if you’re able to gift a subscription to someone else, that support is always welcome.
Trending News
A quick scroll through the top trending stories and social moments lighting up the timeline.
Keke Palmer under fire for hosting Jonathan Majors on podcast about ‘accountability’, Daily Dot
Keke Palmer’s latest podcast guest is raising eyebrows. Former Marvel actor Jonathan Majors, recently convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, will reportedly appear on her show “Baby, This is Keke Palmer” to talk about accountability.
In 2023, Majors was found guilty of reckless assault and harassment, leading to Hollywood studios dropping him. Given Palmer’s own history with domestic abuse, many were shocked she’d give Majors a platform so soon after his conviction. Now, people are asking: why him, why now, and what exactly does accountability mean in this context?
Cultural Reset
The stories and voices reshaping what it means to be a Black woman today.
From first lady to everyday life, artist Amy Sherald captures the beauty of Black America, NBC News
Amy Sherald doesn’t paint likenesses. She paints legacies. Her portraits, including the instantly iconic image of Michelle Obama, center Black subjects in bold color and quiet dignity. In her upcoming Whitney Museum exhibition American Sublime, Sherald brings more than 40 paintings to New York that reflect the richness of everyday Black life. Whether it’s a vintage-car-collecting couple in Brooklyn or a solitary figure deep in thought, Sherald’s work pushes back against erasure. The show, which also marks her first solo exhibition at a New York museum, opens on April 9.
Viola Davis: ‘Play the president? Hell yeah!, The Times
Viola Davis isn’t waiting for permission to have fun on screen anymore. In the new action flick G20, she takes on the role of U.S. President Danielle Sutton—an ass-kicking leader caught in a global hostage crisis at a G20 summit. It’s loud, outrageous, and exactly the kind of escapism Davis says she’s earned after decades of heavy, dramatic roles.
“I needed some levity in my life,” she admits in this Times interview. Now 59, the Oscar winner is flipping the script on who gets to lead a blockbuster action film. Even if the plot is wild, Davis’s powerhouse presence makes it make sense.
What does it take for a Black woman to thrive in a genre that rarely centers her? After a fan claimed she wouldn’t “make it” like her white peers, British singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri went online with a vulnerable, unfiltered response: “You can open for the biggest popstar in the world and the internet will still remind you daily that simply being black will make it twice as hard to be a indie pop star 💔,” she wrote in a recent post (she’s currently opening for Sabrina Carpenter on the European leg of her tour). By speaking out, Chinouriri hopes to inspire other young Black women in indie music to keep going despite the biases.
7 Black Woman ESPN Basketball Reporters To Know, 21!Ninety
From sideline reporting to anchoring NBA Today, Black women are making undeniable moves in a space still lacking in diversity. This roundup introduces seven of the sharpest voices covering the game, from veterans like LaChina Robinson to multi-hyphenates like Chiney Ogwumike. If you’re looking for analysts who bring insight, presence, and perspective to the sports desk, this list is a must-read.
Power Moves
From the boardroom to the ballot box, Black women are shaping the future.
Black-Owned Makeup Brand LYS Beauty Secures 8-Figure Series A Funding, Fashionista
Like Bayoh, LYS Beauty founder Tisha Thompson just made history again. Launched in 2021 by the industry veteran, the brand quickly became the first Black-owned clean beauty line at Sephora. Now, Thompson has secured an eight-figure Series A investment, a major win in an industry where even seven-figure funding for Black women–led startups remains dismally low. In this interview, Thompson breaks down how she scaled the brand during a pandemic, what the funding means for its future, and why LYS is reshaping both clean beauty and consumer expectations.
Reality star Ts Madison opens re-entry home for formerly incarcerated Black trans women, NBC News
Ts Madison is turning her advocacy into infrastructure. This week in Atlanta, the reality TV personality and LGBTQ advocate opened The TS Madison Starter House, a re-entry program specifically for formerly incarcerated Black trans women. The 90-day initiative offers not only a place to stay, but job training, mental health support, nutrition guidance, and gender-affirming care, too. Launched on Trans Day of Visibility (March 31), the home is deeply personal for Madison, who’s spoken openly about her own struggles with housing insecurity.
“I wanted to make space for these girls,” she told NBC News. “I wanted to teach them how to be successful without relying on their bodies but on their other gifts.”
Meet the 1st Black woman to win a N.J. tax credit to build affordable housing, NJ.com
Adenah Bayoh is making history and making housing equitable. After fleeing war in Liberia and resettling in Newark as a teen, Bayoh has become one of New Jersey’s most prominent developers. Now, she’s the first Black woman in the state to receive a competitive tax credit to build affordable housing. Bayoh’s vision for housing is rooted in dignity, education, and opportunity. Her new Newark development will reportedly also offer tutoring for kids and free laptops for every child who moves in.
Under the Radar
The stand-out stories flying below the national spotlight
Locked and loaded: Black pistol instructor redefines women's empowerment, khsb
In a space long dominated by white men, Jeri Persley is creating something different. The Kansas City–based pistol instructor teaches firearm safety through a lens of empowerment, building a welcoming space for Black women to gain confidence, skill, and control. Her classes with Be Empowered Tactical go beyond just hitting a target, focusing on confronting fear, setting boundaries, and challenging assumptions about who gun ownership is for.
As Trump’s campaign doubles down on anti-trans and anti-DEI policies, Black trans leaders are choosing visibility and community over fear. From banning trans athletes to erasing identities from government websites, the former president’s efforts aim to push trans people, especially those of color, out of public life. But advocates like Tori Cooper of the Human Rights Campaign say the attacks are only sharpening their resolve.
“It’s even more fuel for us,” she says. In other words, joy is the strategy and a refusal to disappear is the resistance.
The Fashion Industry And Its Fraught Relationship With Black Women Creative Directors, ESSENCE
Black women shape fashion culture, but rarely lead its biggest houses. While legacy brands like Dior and Gucci reshuffle white male designers at will, “like interchangeable Monopoly pieces,” writes Kadean Smith, Black women like Grace Wales Bonner and Martine Rose are creating globally influential work without institutional power and resources.
Despite all the DEI talk, these women remain excluded from the top. Their talent? Undeniable. Their impact? Everywhere. Their absence from high fashion’s inner circle? Still glaring. So why are Black women still not leading the houses that profit from their vision? Smith’s piece explores the industry’s long-standing barriers, the weight of performative inclusion, and straight-forward solutions.
In Memphis, Kayla Gore is building homes — and a future — for Black trans people, The Advocate
Kayla Gore is also focused on solutions. Through her nonprofit My Sistah’s House, she’s creating a neighborhood of tiny homes in Memphis for Black trans and nonbinary people experiencing housing instability. Her mission goes beyond providing shelter, drafting a blueprint for safety, autonomy, and community. Gore is featured in the GLAAD-nominated documentary American Problems, Trans Solutions, alongside other trans leaders building what the system won’t.
“It really helps people who would never, ever in their wildest dreams think they could own a home,” she says in the documentary.
Missing Persons
Kadejiah Henderson, Early, TX
Please visit Black and Missing Foundation on Instagram and their website to view more flyers. Email newsletters have a character limit, so we cannot include them all and there are, unfortunately, far too many missing Black girls and women.
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