I am writing my first book, ya'll, inspired by the tumult and triumph of 2020.⁣

⁣On June 7, 2020 I had just finished working out and I was sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch soaking up the sun. I was scrolling through my social media feeds and two things struck me: a post about Black joy being revolutionary and meditation teacher @Lightwatkins talking about hope. I spent the next hour voraciously consuming as much positive news about Black folks as possible.⁣

⁣Thirteen days earlier on May 25, George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was suffocated to death by a police officer. This came on the heels of the murder of Breonna Taylor who had been shot by police in her home on March 15, 2020. Before that, Ahmaud Aubrey was killed on February 23, 2020 while jogging in Brunswick, Georgia by two white men because he looked “suspicious”. ⁣

⁣In the midst of this, I still found myself thriving.The title of my book, “Thriving While Black” hit me like a bolt of lightning. In it I tell my own stories and the stories of other Black folks who are thriving against tremendous odds.⁣

⁣I look forward to bringing you along this journey with me. ⁣

Please follow me @charissemwilliams_author on Instagram if you want even more, real time updates.