Five inspirational books by trailblazing women
The team picks five empowering reads by (and about) inspiring, trailblazing women
The Stella reading list
Stronger by Poorna Bell
After her husband died in 2015, journalist Bell managed her grief by getting physically stronger, but along the way she strengthened her mental well-being, too. In this moving semi-memoir, she completely rethinks what it means to be a strong woman. From hating PE as a child, to not wanting to touch weights at the gym as an adult for fear of ‘bulking up’, it immediately resonated – as it no doubt will for many other women.
What the mothers of 3 Civil Rights leaders have to teach Black moms today
Anna Malaika Tubbs learned she was pregnant with her first child in November 2019 while researching her first book.
Already, her relationship with the stories she was uncovering about Alberta King, Louise Little and Emma Berdis Baldwin had been intensifying, the more she learned about their revolutionary role in the fight for Black equality, respect and liberation.
The deep, emotional pull of new motherhood further amplified her connections to the women highlighted in “The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation.” Released in February, the book reveals the forgotten history of how these women withstood the dehumanization and death of Black children during a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
How mothers of MLK, Malcolm X and James Baldwin shaped their sons activism Written by Danielle Chiriguayo and Amy Ta, produced by Brian Hardzinski
May. 06, 2021Books MORE “They [the three mothers] were artists in their own right. Alberta [King] was a singer. Berdis [Baldwin] was a writer, Louise [Little] also had this love and power over language herself. She spoke many different languages. This was informative, not only in their careers and what they were passionate about, but 100% played a huge role in how they mothered their children,” says author Anna Malaika Tubbs. Photo courtesy of Flatiron Books.
Three heroes of the 20th century civil rights movement all had great mothers. Alberta King was the mother of Martin Luther King, Jr. Louise Little was the mom of Malcolm X. And Berdis Baldwin was mom to James Baldwin. All three mothers outlived their sons.