Yaba Blay

Yaba Blay

Dr. Yaba Blay is an Ghanaian American professor, scholar-activist, public speaker, cultural worker, and consultant, whose scholarship, work and practice centers on the lived experiences of Black women and girls, with a particular focus on identity/body politics and beauty practices. Lauded by O Magazine for her social media activism, she has launched several viral campaigns including Locs of Love, #PrettyPeriod, and #ProfessionalBlackGirl, her multi-platform digital community. In 2012, Dr. Blay served as a producer on CNN's television documentary, “Who is Black in America?,” and has since been named one of today's leading Black voices by ‘The Root 100’ and Essence Magazine's ‘Woke 100.’ She has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, BET, MSNBC, BBC, and NPR, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, EBONY, Essence, Fast Company, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Colorlines, and The Root, to name a few. Her commentary is featured in A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond, a permanent installation exhibited in the National Museum of African American History and Culture; and she is the author of the award-winning (1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race. Widely respected as one of the foremost thought leaders on Black racial identity, colorism, and beauty politics, Dr. Blay is a globally sought-after speaker and consultant with an extensive client list of over two dozen academic institutions including Harvard University, Duke University, Spelman College, New York University, to name a few; and such corporate entities as Netflix, UniLever International, SheaMoisture, Estee Lauder Companies, and Procter & Gamble's ‘My Black is Beautiful,’ she also serves as an Executive Consultant for the 'me too.' Movement organization.

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