Zeba Blay

Last updated
Zeba Blay
Born1988or1989(age 34–35) [1]
Ghana
Education The New School
Occupation(s)Writer, cultural critic, film critic
Years active2013 – present
Known for CarefreeBlackGirl (hashtag)
Website https://www.zeba-blay.com/

Zeba Blay is a Ghanaian-American writer, film and cultural critic and former senior culture writer for The Huffington Post . She coined the hashtag #Carefree BlackGirl in 2013 and published her accompanying debut essay collection Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black Women in Pop Culture in 2021.

Contents

Early life and education

Blay was born in Ghana and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. [2] She took a film class in high school that helped her develop an interest in film criticism. [3] In 2013, she received her bachelor's degree from The New School's Eugene Lang College, where she created an original concentration in cultural criticism. [4]

She named Toni Morrison, Janet Mock, Manohla Dargis, and Greg Tate as writers who are particularly influential to her work. [5] [6]

Career

Writing

Blay's writing has been in published in The New York Times , The Village Voice , IndieWire , Film Comment , and others. [2] She was a culture writer at HuffPost from 2013 until 2021. [2] Her work has been cited in outlets including NPR , Vogue , and Vox . [7] [8] [9] She was a writer for the web series MTVDecoded, hosted by Franchesca Ramsey. [10]

She coined the viral hashtag #CarefreeBlackGirl on Twitter in October 2013, as a method "to assert and affirm my right to exist." [11] [2] In October 2021, she released her debut book based on the concept, Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black Women in Pop Culture, an essay collection on the contributions of Black women to American culture. [12] [2] The book explores topics including colorism, the policing of Black women's bodies, [2] Cardi B, [2] and her insights as a working journalist. [2] [13] She also includes her personal experiences with anxiety and depression. [5]

Blay announced that she will release two books in 2022. [4]

Other work

Blay co-hosted the pop culture podcast Two Brown Girls with Fariha Róisín from 2012–2017. [14]

She uses her personal Instagram as an archive for images related to Black expression, emotion, and care. [15]

Personal life

Blay resides in New York City. [2]

Works

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References

  1. ↑ Moore, Keesean; Blay, Zeba (2021-05-13). "Besties Zeba Blay and Keesean Moore on radical vulnerability". i-D. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Tharpe, Stephanie (2021-10-20). "Author Zeba Blay Talks Her Debut Book And The State Of Black Womanhood In America". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  3. ↑ "Zeba Blay's "Carefree Black Girls" Is an Artful Revelation". Bitch Media. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  4. 1 2 "Zeba Blay, Liberal Arts '13, Brings #CarefreeBlackGirl to the Masses with Her New Book". New School News. 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  5. 1 2 Bero, Tayo. ""I'm less interested in being a good writer than I am in being an honest writer": A Conversation with Zeba Blay | Tayo Bero". Catapult. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  6. ↑ "Zeba Blay". Loup. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  7. ↑ Hemmer, Nicole (2018-01-09). "How to think about consuming art made by sexual predators". Vox. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  8. ↑ Castillo, Monica (2016-02-03). "In Conversation About Diversity In Hollywood, Where Does Sundance Fit In?". NPR. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  9. ↑ Specter, Emma (2020-07-13). "I Hate the Version of New York Captured on 'The Bold Type.' So Why Do I Miss It?". Vogue. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  10. ↑ "MTV Decoded Season 7 - The Shorty Awards". shortyawards.com. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
  11. ↑ "For Zeba Blay, Being #CarefreeBlackGirls Isn't All About Joy". Teen Vogue. 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  12. ↑ Ukiomogbe, Juliana (2021-10-19). "Zeba Blay is Putting Her Shadows on the Page". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  13. ↑ Dionne, Evette (2021-10-19). "Zeba Blay's "Carefree Black Girls" Is an Artful Revelation". Bitch Media. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  14. ↑ Gurung, Danny (2016-03-02). "Rookie » Daily Links: Two Brown Girls Return Edition". www.rookiemag.com. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  15. ↑ Williams, Noella (2022-02-24). "What Does It Mean to Be a "Carefree Black Girl"?". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
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