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Yaba Blay speaker
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Yaba Blay

Trusted Thought Leader on Global Black Identity and Culture, Black Beauty Politics, Colorism, and White Supremacy
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About

Gender: Female
Nationality: United States
Languages: English
Travels from: United States

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Websites

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Biography Highlights

  • Scholar-Activist and Creator of Locs of LOVE, #PrettyPeriod, and #ProfessionalBlackGirl
  • Author of the Award-Winning Book, 'One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race'
  • Former Dan Blue Endowed Chair in Political Science, North Carolina Central University

Biography

Dr. Yaba Blay is a scholar-activist, public speaker, and cultural 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 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 One 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, Procter & Gamble’s ‘My Black is Beautiful,’ and the #meToo. Movement.

Dr. Yaba Blay earned a Master of Arts and PhD in African American Studies (with distinction) and a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies from Temple University. She also holds a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology from the University of New Orleans. The former Dan Blue Endowed Chair in Political Science at North Carolina Central University, she has also taught on the faculties of Lehigh University, Lafayette College, and Drexel University, where she served as the Director of the Africana Studies program.

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Media, podcast appearances and interviews

Speaking videos

Popular Talks

Inspired by her award-winning book, One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race, scholar-activist and cultural consultant Dr. Yaba Blay explores the extent to which historical definitions of race continue to shape contemporary racial identities and lived experiences of racial difference. Dr. Blay delves into vital questions about defining identity – how we define ourselves, each other, and how we navigate these complex ideas to create greater equity and belonging in our workplaces and communities.

Available: In person, Virtually

Scholar-activist and award-winning author Dr. Yaba Blay inspires both critical thinking as well as action. Sought after as a public speaker and cultural consultant by global brands, Dr. Blay is widely respected as one of the foremost thought leaders on Black racial identity, colorism, and beauty politics. In enlightening and empowering talks, Dr. Blay helps audiences move past the ‘checklist’ mindset of diversity, equity, and inclusion work toward meaningful questions and grounded action.

Available: In person, Virtually

In one of her signature talks, cultural critic, scholar-activist, and award-winning author Dr. Yaba Blay leads audiences on a deeply introspective journey and facilitates an empowering conversation about diverse media. Widely respected as one of the foremost thought leaders on Black racial identity, colorism, and beauty politics, Dr. Blay offers an impactful presentation while creating a genuine, collaborative connection with audiences of all kinds.

Available: In person, Virtually

Widely respected as one of the foremost thought leaders on Black racial identity, colorism, and beauty politics, scholar-activist and award-winning author Dr. Yaba 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, Procter & Gamble’s ‘My Black is Beautiful’, and the #meToo. Movement.

Available: In person, Virtually
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Testimonials

Colorism and Mediated Images offered by Dr. Blay is a deeply introspective journey and conversation about diverse media. Dr. Blay created a comfortable environment for open and honest participant discussions. From our pre-brief meetings, to the lecture presentation itself, to our debriefing sessions, she was consistently honest in her feedback, and showed a genuine care in collaborating with us, rather than simply teaching us. We are very much looking forward to working with Dr. Blay again.

Shondaland

We invited Dr. Blay to keynote our bi-annual, university-wide Diversity Symposium. As a large educational institution that serves students from a variety of communities, backgrounds, and traditions, it was important to us that all our attendees left the symposium understanding why diverse perspectives are necessary in all that we do. Dr. Blay's approach encouraged us to look beyond numbers and percentages and pushed us to instead think about diversity, equity, and inclusion as practices, rather than policies. Her critical lens directly challenged us, and we left with important information to share with administrators, faculty, and staff. The keynote was very well-received and I’m certain that her message will have a long standing impact on all who were in attendance.

Temple University

Books

Yaba Blay book

One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race

Challenges narrow perceptions of Blackness as both an identity and lived reality to understand the diversity of what it means to be Black in the US and around the world What exactly is Blackness and what does it mean to be Black? Is Blackness a matter of biology or consciousness? Who determines who is Black and who is not? Who’s Black, who’s not, and who cares? In the United States, a Black person has come to be defined as any person with any known Black ancestry. Statutorily referred to as “the rule of hypodescent,” this definition of Blackness is more popularly known as the “one-drop rule,” meaning that a person with any trace of Black ancestry, however small or (in)visible, cannot be considered White. A method of social order that began almost immediately after the arrival of enslaved Africans in America, by 1910 it was the law in almost all southern states. At a time when the one-drop rule functioned to protect and preserve White racial purity, Blackness was both a matter of biology and the law. One was either Black or White. Period. Has the social and political landscape changed one hundred years later? One Drop explores the extent to which historical definitions of race continue to shape contemporary racial identities and lived experiences of racial difference. Featuring the perspectives of 60 contributors representing 25 countries and combining candid narratives with striking portraiture, this book provides living testimony to the diversity of Blackness. Although contributors use varying terms to self-identify, they all see themselves as part of the larger racial, cultural, and social group generally referred to as Black. They have all had their identity called into question simply because they do not fit neatly into the stereotypical “Black box”—dark skin, “kinky” hair, broad nose, full lips, etc. Most have been asked “What are you?” or the more politically correct “Where are you from?” throughout their lives. It is through contributors’ lived experiences with and lived imaginings of Black identity that we can visualize multiple possibilities for Blackness.

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One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race

Challenges narrow perceptions of Blackness as both an identity and lived reality to understand the diversity of what it means to be Black in the US and around the world What exactly is Blackness and what does it mean to be Black? Is Blackness a matter of biology or consciousness? Who determines who is Black and who is not? Who’s Black, who’s not, and who cares? In the United States, a Black person has come to be defined as any person with any known Black ancestry. Statutorily referred to as “the rule of hypodescent,” this definition of Blackness is more popularly known as the “one-drop rule,” meaning that a person with any trace of Black ancestry, however small or (in)visible, cannot be considered White. A method of social order that began almost immediately after the arrival of enslaved Africans in America, by 1910 it was the law in almost all southern states. At a time when the one-drop rule functioned to protect and preserve White racial purity, Blackness was both a matter of biology and the law. One was either Black or White. Period. Has the social and political landscape changed one hundred years later? One Drop explores the extent to which historical definitions of race continue to shape contemporary racial identities and lived experiences of racial difference. Featuring the perspectives of 60 contributors representing 25 countries and combining candid narratives with striking portraiture, this book provides living testimony to the diversity of Blackness. Although contributors use varying terms to self-identify, they all see themselves as part of the larger racial, cultural, and social group generally referred to as Black. They have all had their identity called into question simply because they do not fit neatly into the stereotypical “Black box”—dark skin, “kinky” hair, broad nose, full lips, etc. Most have been asked “What are you?” or the more politically correct “Where are you from?” throughout their lives. It is through contributors’ lived experiences with and lived imaginings of Black identity that we can visualize multiple possibilities for Blackness.
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