Jamia Wilson

This week’s radical is Jamia Wilson, writer, activist, speaker, and the new Executive Editor at Random House. She’s the former director of the Feminist Press at City University of New York, and her works include Young, Gifted, and Black, Big Ideas for Young Readers, and Step into Your Power.In our conversation we cover the complex dynamics of race vs. nationality, why it’s important to expose children to big ideas early, the power of storytelling, and more.Some Questions I Ask:What are you working on right now? What does this new role with Random House mean? (0:45)How does this new position empower you to open doors for others? (2:47)What brought you to Saudi Arabia? (13:08)When did you come back to the U.S.? (16:59)How did you choose American University? (24:46)How has your religious upbringing intersected with your story? (34:35)Has there ever been a time when you wanted to quit? (47:37)In This Episode, You Will Learn:Why helping to shape the cultural landscape excites Jamia (3:33)What kinds of books Jamia writes—and how they affect her (7:20)The real reason representation matters (11:23)How Jamia came to embrace the identity of being an expat (14:57)How Jamia navigated life in the Middle East as a Black American (18:54)Jamia’s surreal NYU experience (31:43)Why Jamia puts the collective above the self in her work (44:13)What Jamia’s imagined future entails (51:33)Resources:Follow Jamia on Twitter and InstagramJamia’s WebsiteBuy Jamia’s Books Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.