November 22, 2021 • 47 mins
Malik catches up with Malik Books regular Allesa Willis from Locks or Twist hair in Baldwin Hills Estates!
Next up, an interview with Lily Workneh, editor of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic, along with CaShawn Thompson who wrote the forward and created the #BlackGirlMagic!
And Malik reveals the secret weapon to Malik Books AND Malik's Bookshelf...his wife, April.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah. Yeah, My lag bus has all the knowledge you want.
My lag but has how the knowledge you need. My
ledge books, Yeah, they have all the works that the
whole wide world want to read. My League books, Malik's
(00:26):
Bookshew bringing a world together with books, culture and community.
This is our fourth episode and you will not be
disappointed because we got fired on this fourth episode because
we're here to contribute to the mother of civilization. The
title of this episode, it is called Black girl Magic.
(00:51):
That's right. Let me say it again, Black girl magic
and black girl magic is a movement today because the
contribute is that black women and black girls have contributed
to our community and this nation. Are incredible and need
to be celebrated. Black women are the mother of civilization
(01:16):
and they have been the backbone of a movement that
has helped transform our community in this nation. They suffer
from a double negative, but yet a perseverance. So this
titled this episode black girl Magic, is to celebrate their
beauty and the glory and the magnificence of Black women.
(01:42):
Our guests featured on this episode on mothers, teachers, authors, entrepreneurs, artists,
their own song ship roles, and they are the black
girl Magic. So state soon and let's get into this
(02:02):
episode black Girl Magic. Longtime supporter, friend, family member, She's
been one of my biggest fans for what we do
here at Mileak Books, and I'm gonna got to have
her on the Leak Book Show. I want she considered
(02:23):
family does? That's right, sister and everything? So why do
you continue to support us? And why do you love
to read? I love to read because reading is you're
becoming aware of of your environment and everything that's around you.
Your reading takes you to another place that you can't
go with television and going to the movies. Reading expands
(02:49):
your knowledge, It expands your awareness, it expands just your universe.
Reading is bigger than you. Yes, yes it does. Yeah.
Out of favorite book, I have a favorite book. One
of my favorite books is Malcolm X and I learned
(03:10):
so much about that book. It wasn't it wasn't just
about Islam. It was about daily life period. Another one
of my favorite books is Deepa Chopra The Seven Spiritual
Laws of Success. Oh my God, and I was reading
that book for about maybe two years because I read
it every now and then before I realized that each
(03:34):
day of a week, you don't like wait a minute.
It was like an e eemphony, like what wait a minute?
Seventh Spiritual Laws and Success, And it was a gig
one law a day. But it's an excellent book. It
it gets my mind right. When my mind gets everyone
gets a little off track, and it works. It can
(03:54):
change your life, you know, improve your life. It works
with work. Is that we read a lot of books
and we don't apply it says. It says, to be still,
be still for a minute. And then it also appreciate neighbors.
I appreciate not neighbors. I'm sorry, appreciate nature. Nature, not neighbors. Neighbors. Neighbors.
(04:22):
Neighbors make up communities, Yes they do. The community is
very important. Takes a whole village. So so what so
it says, take It says, whenever you meet someone, present
them with a gift, whether it be a thought. You
don't have to tell them with you. You can send
them a real positive thought. You could give them a
little note to say, hey, you look great, You're an
(04:44):
amazing person. Yeah, And you could give them a smile.
You could give them anything that they may not you
and may have been the only person that smiled at
them that day. You know, what I mean. And you
could bring them a flower, You could take a little
flower off of book. Remember how kids used to do
that to you, Like you can still do that as
an adult. And it's not it's not it's the idea
(05:07):
behind the gift that matters, you know what I'm saying.
So you can send people well wishes and they don't
even know you're sending them. And I learned all that
from that book Seven Special Laws of Success. Hey, you
can get at your story humbly. Absolutely, we have all
those types of books. Those are good books. Yeah, that's
a transformative book. Well, hey, leave us with something about
yourself in terms of who and what you are and
(05:30):
what you do, because you've been a community entrepreneur as
long as I've known you. You've helped people, um improve
the quality of their life just in their parents and
that in terms of hair and dress and um. And
you've just been an example of a go getter and
a strong black woman. So touch you on. Well, um
(05:51):
I started. Let me see, ever since a child, I've
been into the arts, so and I've been into um,
I've always been very optimistic thinker. So I've always like
I used to take dresses and selim onto my dolls.
I couldn't take the dresses off. I was on my dogs,
(06:11):
but I didn't and it was so cute in the front.
But so that's when I started. I realized that I
started having it. I had a really strong interest in fashion.
So since then I started. I'm a self tough milliner,
and a milliner as someone who makes hats from scratch.
So I'm a self tough milliner and from that, that's
how I journeyed. I always wanted to do wardrop. That's
how I journeyed into doing fashion wardrobe because a friend
(06:35):
of this artist named Raphael Sadiq was like, hey, Rappio,
we love your hats, and I really he said, yeah,
I'm gonna take them and show him your hats. So
he did and then so I went to show Raphael
my hats and he loved them and he said, have
you ever been on tour before? I'm like, now, because
I want you want to go with us? Um And
that's when So my first tour was with Lucy Pearl
and it was pretty amazing. UM. So that was my
(06:57):
first tour. Then I worked with everyone from Casey and
Joe Joe. I worked with Eric kabat Do. I worked
with Anthony Hamilton's and it was just like murder, word
of mouth. I work with Jaquar right, So it was
this like a whole hundred people that I worked with.
I don't know if there's this new artist named Blasts,
I work with him too, um so um justiz oh
(07:18):
um Sway. When Sway was with Way Text, it wasn't
like a whole bunch of people that work with since
the nineties. So I called myself retired, but people still
keep calling me like to do bullies and like all
kinds of stuff like Okay, that's that's my calleag because
I really believe the fashion is art. So it's more
it's more to me than just like you go to
(07:40):
you go to um to Macy's store my clothes. I'm
getting there. I'm getting there. Okay, we're there, like I'm
getting there. So so yeah. So so that's one of
my one of my strongest thing is like our casing
motivating I do hear, which believe I've been lacking here
for over third three years and and the reason that
(08:03):
I love locking here so much because it pushed me
in touch with the community, keeps me going. It started
me in the fashion business because the guy who came
and said, hey, I want to take to show these
house to Raphiel, I was doing this here. I'm also
a student at cal State Demmingus University. I am double
majoring in art and UM psychology real talk, and so
(08:25):
that means that, um, it ain't never too late to
get that paper, A never late to get that degree.
It's never too and we're gonna be your biggest fans
when you get that. Absolutely, even they never let in
in this world. That's a mouth stone. When you get
that paper and they't never too late, you can't stop
using the brain week. Absolutely, knowledge is power. Knowledge is power. Yes,
(08:46):
it is. It never gets old. It is the gift
that keeps on getting Yes, and you just heard it
from Melissa Willis. Yeah, let me give you my number
three to three A three three four or five one
three I do lots have been locking here for over
thirty three years. So just call that number, leave a
(09:06):
message if you want to get your hair. Did you
heard it firsthand? Malik's bookshelf, Thank You, good Night Stories
for Rebel Girls one hundred Real life Tales of Black
(09:27):
Girl Magic. We have the editor Lily working and the
four in the book by Kashna Thompson. And I'm just
so delighted to have both of you back on the phone.
We did a wonderful book tour. We kicked it off
at Malik Books at the West Phil Plaza Um. We
started the wave of excitement and I'm so happy that
(09:50):
I was was able to be part of that. And
and I have both of your on the phone again.
So let's talk about your book, this book in which
you picked up, but huge, huge, huge endorsement when you
can get opra Winfy to come forth and promote and
(10:10):
tell everybody. But just before the holidays, this new book series,
good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, a hundred real life
tales of black girl magic, is just the perfect way
to begin to learn about and hear some of these stories,
to learn about those who have paved away and created
a path where there was none before. So what I
(10:33):
do know for sure is that you all will take inspiration.
I'm hoping that at least that you will from these
stories to use your voice in ways that supports and
uplift all the people who around you and your family
and your school, in your neighborhood, in your life and
(10:53):
also continue to uplift yourself. That's what reading does, is
it helps you uplift yourself. So keep on reading. Let's
talk about how did they feel to get this big
endorsement from Oprah Winfred It was super exciting to get
this endorsement from Oprah, Like when she put on her
favorite things list that that's like a huge stamp of approval,
(11:18):
like the hugest stamp us to get on whatever your
product is. And um, it's just like the carry on
top of this huge iceing Sunday of wonderful that has
been the process of this book and the process of
meeting everyone yourself, including going to wonderful bookstores like yours,
and uh, just getting the word out that this book
(11:40):
about black women is available for families all over to
the country and a lot of places around the world.
Absolutely absolutely What about you, Lily, what do you have
to say about picking up that? I mean, I am
just honoring um for her to you know craze the
she has. She not only included the book you know
(12:03):
as part of her favorite theme for this year, but
she was also part of our fast. We had a
virtual celebration for young girls just watch and learn and
dance along, reducate some word of encouragement to them during
that program. So to have her so involved in this
campaign and the celebration of the book has been a
dream come true because I'm a I'm overstand absolutely yes
(12:27):
and Billy Kelly and so yes, yes, yes, she's a
role model, uh, international role model for a woman around
the world. She's a role model for men success. Yeah yeah, yeah.
(12:47):
So in terms of the book, Rebel Girls, what does
it mean for a woman, you know, in a girl
a book like this? Um. Well, in the making of
this book, Linly and I pretty much decided that we
wanted to make a book that we could have had
for ourselves as young girls, you know, uh profile and
(13:08):
the stories of women from all walks of life, from
all time periods. Um from the past always, you know,
from the seventeen hundreds we had Queen and Zinger of
Angola all the way to the present day. Was a
Manda Gorman who sposo eloquently as the last presidential inauguration,
(13:28):
and just across cultures, across UH careers and different bodies, hipes,
different skin texes, everything, all the ways that black women
show up. So we wanted to have a book that
everyone could see a bit of themselves there. So I
think we have really accomplaged that, and the feedback we've
(13:50):
gotten has been amazing and it's just warm in my heart,
as I'm sure as a woman Lay's heart is well.
To have so many people just really being the best
feel leaders for what we've done. Yes, long hunted real
life tales of Black Girl Magic really m Yeah, absolutely,
(14:10):
it definitely warms my heart to just you know, be
able to create a book that is so um, you know,
special and different. There's a lot of kids books that
talk about you know, uh, you know, the center like
animals and talk about different parts of the childhood experience
in different ways, but I don't think there's any children's
book that exists that really talks about black women and
(14:31):
centers to celebrates our stories in this way. You know.
It was really full page illustrations of each woman that
showcase her beauty and strengths and resilience. Um you know,
that's created by black women from cover to covers, has
you know, costs involvement and the leader of the Black
Girl Magic movement and hashtag to really make sure we
(14:51):
carry through the spirit of what that means so yeah,
there's a lot of things that make this book super special.
And I am, you know, rightful to a big part
of it and to bring this to life with And
I'm happy that girls and people everywhere get their hands
on extra things. Everyone can learn a lot from the
stories that we included. You know some you know, I
(15:13):
get this question all the time, people said, they ask me,
they say, uh, what age group? I said, you know,
to me, there's a lot of women in this book
that I never heard of. So I'm telling you that
it's for all ages, just kids. Every age can learn
from reading this book. It's a beautiful illustrated book. It's
(15:37):
a beautiful written book, and it's an exciting book because
it has one hund real life tales of black girl magic.
These are stories you know, back in the day, Um,
when I was growing up. You know, my mom used
to do big time stories and um, you know, I
don't know how much is that, you know, being done today,
(15:57):
But this kind of book, you know, with one hundred
real life tales, you know, you got a hundred days
of wonderful women. They are both the you know internationally,
you know, worldwide American. So you have all these stories
in this book. But what I'm saying is you got one.
(16:18):
I believe you can just read one a day before
you and discuss it before you go to bed. That's
a wonderful suggestion. What do you have to say about that? Well,
Mr Glee, I don't know if you remember, but the
youngest girl we met on the tour was that story
book story. She was only two months old. So if
her parents can get it for her and you can
(16:39):
learn from it, there is no age in it. And
I think that the fact that we have so many
stories and it's so much to learn and discuss, like
we have a hundred stories. But also in the back
of the book we have activities for the readers to
do on their own, like both picture of themselves or
right there old story of Black Girl, Magic and Black
(17:00):
and also a guy to all of the other black
women that were be Sure and the other good Night
stories books about rebel girls. So the book has so
much to offer and there's really no age minuit on it.
It's no age limit, no gender limit if it's a
girl or boy, because there's someone from another country, if
it's someone that's in America. The book has so much
(17:23):
to offer, so it's just limit list because Shan, I
need you because lially pointed out that you are the
creator of the black girl Magic hashtag. So I just
you know, that became a movement. I just you know,
I want you to touch on that. Some years ago,
um I started saying black girls our magic online and
it turned into the hashtag black girl Magic. But way
(17:46):
before then, I was a little kid out here in
DC and I was being raised like some amazing black
women my mom, my grandma's, my auntie is my older cousin.
And I literally thought, because I too was raised on
bedtime stories that started once upon a time, I thought
that magic was real, and I thought that what I
thought black womanhood was magic. So that's something that I
(18:09):
always thought. And then as I grew up and started
going to school and having friends, I thought it wasn't
just my family, it was my teachers and my friends.
And then it was a woman I would see in
media on TV like Oprah herself and scores of other
black women. So that's what shape my understanding of black
girls seeing magic. So it was just something I decided
(18:31):
to share with the world at the time that I
thought black woman really needed to boost well I know,
I know that a lot of my posts I put
black girl magic literally literally. UM, what does it mean
to be a rebel girl? You know? Rebel girls? Really
there is no age limit to that either. UM that
(18:52):
at Repel Girls, that the company Rebel Girls itself is
the media brand and globallydia brand that UM and still
confident and encourages girls to be the heroes of their
own stories and really doing that through storytelling. So, you know,
to be a rebel girl means to really pursue your
dreams and to understand and unlock your potential UM and
(19:12):
to not let the world dictate which you can and
can't be. And we're here to give them good examples
of you know, women who have decided the odds and
have walked through their purpose and in their truths UM
to become their best selves and even if they were
able to, you know, just be um their fullest spells
and impact their own lives. That makes you a rebel girl.
(19:34):
Or to go on to be a world change maker
you know, and catalyzed movements that really impact the lives
of thousands of not millions. UM. And that also you
know qualifies as a rebel girl. But there is no um.
You know, there are no expectations that we put on
young girls beyond just encouraging them to be their best
selves and to uh to really pursue their dreams. Well,
(19:57):
you know, I would consider my mother, mother and my
grandmother a rebel girl in the sense that you know, um,
just what they had to overcome in the errors and
it made a difference in my life. And and so
many people like my grandmother who used to give out
five hundred dollars if you graduated from high school, a
(20:18):
thousand dollars if you graduated from college. And she was
doing that on shoes string money. You know, she had
a fixed income, but she always found a way to
help the least fortunate. So that's when my mother put
together a foundation and called the Creusadive Praise Scott Foundation
to help you know, freshman in college. You know, I
(20:40):
consider that you know them rebels and so um. And
I know that the resilience of black woman, you know,
in a market around the world have contributed tremendously to
the accomplishments worldwide. And so you know, that's why I
love about this book because his point out to contribute
is that the women have made and it's important so
(21:03):
lially again, why is it? Why was it important that
all the I guess, the illustrators, all the writers, the editor,
everything about this book was tied to black woman? Can
you talk about that? That important? Absolutely? It was so important.
I mean, I've think that was the best way, UM
and the only way that we could tell this these
(21:25):
stories as authentically as possible because you know, in my
personal opinion, I think black women you know, know our
stories best and know how to tell them best. And
there are so many nuances to UM, how we tell
our stories and the things that we go through that
we really only understand. And you know, Kashawn and I
(21:45):
was here to help guys that UM storytelling through both
be written and the visual UM, you know, creation of
these stories to help make this appropriate for kids and UM,
you know, help them better understand and you know, keep
black kids in the Black kids wouldn't like what it
means to be a black woman, and in many different
(22:05):
ways that we show up is what becomes like and
to not um, you know, perpetuate the stereotypes that we
so often are you know, held against or UM you know,
to make sure that we are shown and depicted in
these illustrations as accurately as possible, that our hair texture
and co questions were accurate in their body side, and
(22:28):
that we had a fair representation of women who show
up and so many different ways across different you know,
sexual identities and live from different you know, from all
parts of the world, that we have their cultural backgrounds accurate.
And you know, I think that's what makes this books
so magical. Who is knowing that it is? You know,
(22:48):
there's black grow magic not only in the women's feature,
but also in all the women who created this book too. Yeah,
I mean the list is extensive. Can you talk about
some of this the people because Shanna is in the
book that you're featured in the book, I know you
touched on a few earlier, but some of the some
of the additional ones who we know, we know Oprah,
(23:11):
we know man Gardens, we know old ladies. But when
we had everyone from Uh, we had Uh Zimbabwe and
mushroom farmer by the name Uh. She does that just
her story blew me away that she had been orphaned
(23:32):
as a as a young person and worked, you know,
as a day neighbor basically to put her brother through school.
And she's not with the school to learning the times
of farming mushroom to help her community and Zimbabwe. So
it wasn't a big thing that she did, but it
was just as impactful as anything that anyone else did.
(23:53):
So we had that. So we had the story of
Rock Fanshawntay, who's the hip hop tioneer here in the
United States. We had the story of Shelley Chisham, who's
a very breaking politician. Umappranis we all know is uh
iconic and legendary singer and songwriter and musical musicians that
(24:16):
lives there my lifetime that I had the pleasure enjoying
her art. So we had people from all walks of life,
American U ladies from the African continent in Germany and
China and everywhere around the world. Because that's what black
women and what we do are. We're global, We're manafacturing
success in every time period, in every place. We wanted
(24:40):
everyone to have the pleasure in the privilege of, you know,
being exposed to these stories and seeing a bit of
themselves in it. Literally, what's your favorite story in the book?
Trying to pick a favorite, all of them are faite.
Started out there so many gonna get from you know,
hundreds and hundreds of stories for just one hundreds. UM,
(25:03):
you know we were oh you had to nearly down
then was your part of that part process? Says you
was the editor? Yeah, absolutely, Cashan and I would both
part of that process, and you know we that was
that was one of the two most more challenging priss
because we could include any woman, any black Pool who's
(25:23):
ever existed, you know, um in this book. So we
had to set some criterias and make sure good mix
of you know, creators and champions and leaders and innovators
those are you know for the categories I guess by
good bye and then across time periods and you know
location and you know, uh cultural, professional background, um age
(25:48):
all the things. So it was that was really tough,
but we got it done and but you know, still selling.
The stories that stand out to me most are the storytellers, UM,
because I consider myself one and that's both My career
has been in media and storytelling. So UM, I really
admired and appreciated the story of I to be Well
(26:09):
to Tony Morrison to Octivia Butler, which her illustrated one
of my favorites. UM to abad Renet, you know, more
modern day women like ethere Um, you know Mark by
Martin who's telling me stories in front of and behind
the camera um and is breaking and making history, you know,
(26:29):
at just such a young age. So there's there's definitely
a good, you know, mix of all kinds of women,
but the media movers and shakers, the people who can't
ask me as well. I think that you narrowed it
down to a wonderful selection that the hundred, because I
know there are thousands of strong Black women and women
in general that out there that you had you choose from,
(26:51):
and so you made a wonderful selection. I enjoyed the book.
I made sure my daughter had a copy of that.
You know, she's thirteen, and I think it's important for
her to, you know, on a black woman because you're
the mother of civilization. I mean, women are the mothers
civilization without child, there's no civilization without women. We you know,
(27:14):
we as men, we hadn't did it, and so to
to to women simply because we can't give ourselves children.
So hey, you know, y'all, y'all, y'all give the greatest
gift that can ever be given. And that's what that's
children and each generation has come forth through a woman.
So so that's power. Just just like I said, I
(27:35):
think that y'all did a book tour. He kicked it
off at Malik Books and then you went to the
East coast that I believe, the South, all over the country.
And what's next for y'all tour? What's next? What's going
on next? To help push out this wonderful book, Good
Not Stories for Rebel Girls. So if you don't have
the books, you could go to Rebel Girls dot com
(27:56):
and and get a copy there. Um, you know now
it's sure to part of over favorite themes which were
super excited about. So if he used to code over
off the books and any of the other books that
Rebel Girls, Um, now you're gonna cut my legs all.
Don't cut my legs off. Now you know you got
the same dot com? You know you don't absolutely store.
(28:24):
I got an online store, Malague Books dot com where
you can support an independent. Yes, when you support an independent,
I forget American local book store. Who still got some
sign autographed copies of the Rebel Girl Good Night Stories
for Rebel Girls one hundred Real Life, Oh Black Girls.
(28:45):
We got signed copies. We want exactly copies and special
copies as an Eligue book story, so absolutely yeah store. Um,
I want to give a shout out of the relig
Books store in l A, both locations I had the
distinct pleasure of being there, but also braving time and
(29:08):
Decatur right outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and the Lit Bar
in the Bronx, New York City, and also my Hobney
Books right here in d C where I am. They
all I have copies of our book good Night Stories
for Rubber Girls one hundred real Life Tales of Black
Girl Magic, where you can buy independent black own book stores.
(29:31):
And as far as what we was doing that after
this busy fault that we've had, we are enjoying time
at home with our families and still spreading the world
the words the best way we can encouraging everyone to
get a copy of the book and um enjoy give
it away from holiday, give read it on your own
readers to children, have children read it to you, but
(29:54):
you know, nake it and enjoyable experience. And you really
can't not have an enjoyable experience with this book. It's
an amazing thing and a very feel very famoush that
done apartment project and work with Lily? What what? What? What?
This is? This is an excellent book for the holidays.
We cannot say that enough. This book right if you're
(30:17):
looking looking for something to give someone doing this holiday,
I don't care for a girl boy. This book good
Night Story for Rebel Growth one it tells a black
girl is an actually book to give as a gift.
So with that, if you had to leave the community
(30:38):
with one word of inspiration, what would it be. Let's
start with you, Lily, one word of inspiration? Um, you
know I would say what I think this book gives
to um all people who read an adult kids life
with the empowerment empowered and who they are and uh
(31:03):
who they want to be kind and that you know
that they have the ability to become that so of empowerment. Now,
because Shana, what about you, I'm afraid you said, I
want to leave with everyone who reasons book. It feels
inspired that I never forget to spread your magic. Spread
(31:24):
your magic. Well, ladies, I want to thank you for
this wonderful opportunity to talk with both of you who
put together a landmark. You made your contribution. I'm sure
you made it. Another areas. But I know one way
you made it's this wonderful book. This is gonna shake
up the world, create a generation of change from one
(31:48):
generation to the next. Thank you for your wonderful time.
Thank you for putting out being part of this wonderful book.
And we greatly created much success, much success. This is
only gonna be the beginning. You know, It's only gonna
blow up bigger and better, especially when you got Open
Winfrey pushing it fro out of the open. So thank you,
(32:11):
my sisters, Thank you, appreciate it. Thank you so much,
and y'all have a breast weekend. Enjoy today, peace That day,
I got a special guest and she's sitting right here
next to me, and she's always sitting next to me,
(32:33):
and she's been shoulder to shoulder from day one. This
is the secret weapon to Malik Books. And since we're
doing this episode black Girl Magic, well she's the magic
and the secret weapon of Malik Books. Hello April Mohammed, Hello,
(32:54):
Welcome to Malik's Bookshelf. So happy to be yes, I've
been waiting to have you on this explosive new podcast
that I'm hosting and as the co owner of Leak
books and the secret weapon and the glue then and
(33:17):
the magic that make it all go around. I know
that our audience would love to hear from you, a strong,
independent black woman, a mother. I mean, words cannot express
the gratefulness, the gratitude, and the just the love, because
(33:37):
that's the glue that make the world go around. The
love did she has brought to our relationship, to our family,
to our business. Then. You know, most people, you know,
they work at two different jobs when they might meet
(33:59):
up at In our case, we wake up together. We
worked together, we go to sleep together. So I like
to keep it real. I mean, I like to keep
it real. I like to keep it one hunted. And
(34:19):
I know that I can get on your nerves. Sometimes
we under each other all the time. You know what
I'm saying, You've got two different people trying to be one,
trying to be one and not. That's the hardest thing
that you can do. It is, but it's worth in
(34:40):
any end, because we have small children and big children
that it's best to see that we are a team.
Regardless of you get on my nerves, I get on
your nerves. We still go to work together, lads together,
play hard together, and that's a blessing that we have
children that can see that, Like, yeah, I got good
(35:00):
parents that meshed together. It's not it's not an easy thing,
but I feel that it is worth it for that Mary,
for our children. Absolutely. And you gotta have that kind
of spirit. And let me tell you that she has.
That's your one. That's one of your weapons, that spirit
(35:21):
that you have. That gentle and kind and wholesome man.
We got customers to come in all the time. They
ship where is April at? Where's April? That she got
him hook? That's part of the books, that's part of
melique books. She's magic in front of the scene you
(35:44):
made me? What is they fred? What was they fred?
All the time I'm always looking forward. I don't think
I could do nothing without it. Likewise, that's what they
get work. That wouldn't make it work, you know, Like
I said, you know we like two hands with the
fingers are intertwine and it just works, you know, and
(36:07):
it's magic. But don't mean you know, I don't rub
her some way or she don't rub me some way,
because that's just you know, friction is would make the fire,
and that's what makes you grow and immature. And in
bond even greater. So how has your journey Tell the
(36:28):
audience about your journey with maliek Books. Well, my journey
started with Malik books. Um um about I guess you yeah,
I guess you could say your journey started with Malik
inter myself with books was about fifteen years ago. I
actually came from the nursing film a nurse by trade.
(36:51):
And um, yes, I've seen my husband. I've seen him
have a vision in these in these books, and I've
seen the past and in him and me as a wife.
You know, I am a cheerleader. I'm as big as fan.
I'm as biggest cheerleader. I know how to play my
position and let him enjoy this journey and I don't
mind doing it. That's part of my magic is allowing
(37:13):
him to be the face of Leak Books and this
is his brand, and I want to be part of
the brand and a peaceful brand that everybody loves. Hello. Hello,
And that's why you know, she let me be me
absolutely and she hey, and she also helps me to
be a better me. Yeah, you know, because change is
(37:40):
good if it's for the better. If it's for the better,
and I believe that we have both given each other
that gift of change, of growth. Better, don't teach other. Absolutely,
I'm a better man today and I'm a better woman. Hello.
Together we can do more. Yeah. Yes, So she's a
(38:01):
major part of the magic that makes Malik Books what
it is. And she is so supportive of my podcast,
Malik's Bookshelf because I ain't never done nothing like this
and I never even sold myself doing nothing like this
number this episodes. This is the fourth Episodeater Building the Square.
(38:25):
We on the Square route now. Yes, yes, So it's
like when you when you she's the face of Malik Books,
you know, I she's on the book marks, um on
a lot of the you know, different logos and what
have you. And I made sure, I made sure that
(38:49):
the secret weapon of Malik Books is a major part
of our brand. We just met Terry Cruise the other
day and he loved term secret weapon. I've been calling
her that for how long, seventeen years? A black woman
(39:10):
that's a nurse, a black woman that's an entrepreneur. You know,
she had different businesses before I met her along with
her being a nurse. All right, she's a mother, can
cook her, but off, don't let me tell you about
the tool. Ain't chicken, t ain't chicken that she may
(39:35):
don't let me tell you about that. I'm still and
that was years ago, but I was more than years
ago still because I could still taste it. It was suckling,
can cook? Can? I mean? Man? Just like my magic.
That's why I called her a checker weapon. People say,
or are you calling? Because she got weapons of masks? Hello,
(39:58):
weapons of mass destruction, ship god gifts and I like
to celebrate and that's what this episode, Black girl, magic
episode is all about. Celebrating the magic or black woman.
That's what this episode. And you're a major part of
magic that makes Malik Books what it is today, your
(40:22):
spirit and your gifts a fourth episode. What you want
to tell the audience, April, We don't want to leave
anything out. We want them to know a little bit
about yourself. They know you've been a nurse, they know
that you are a part owner of Malik Books. Um.
(40:45):
What else we want to let them know about you? Well,
that's approvening card. I was a nurse by trade. I'm
a con owner of Malik Books. Um, I have children,
and you know I believe that confidence is everything. Um,
My confidence is silent. You know. Sometimes people just gravitate,
(41:05):
not sometimes most of the time of the time, just
gravitates to me and you know, tell me their life story.
Because I believe that your confidence is silent, is not loud.
For me, it's not loud. So when I sit and
I looking observed, that's a gift in itself, it is,
that's a gift in itself. And people open up me
all the time. And you got mad, you got mad
(41:29):
confidence and you instill that and children, Yes, and it's
a mus And one of the things I want to
say about you as a as a woman, as a
mother is the fact that being a mother comes easy
(41:50):
for you. And I've witnessed many mothers, but you, for you,
it's just you. You're You're you know, You're a nurture,
you know, and that's why you was a nurse. I mean,
it's been a nurse. This is why you're doing what
you're doing as a book activists. Now, along with Joe,
co founded my leak, you know, serving the community with books,
(42:15):
you know, And I jumped right into it. Books. The
love that you had for um this link books, and
I was seeing the love that you have for the community,
for help for the help nurture people through books. I've
(42:35):
seen it. I said, oh, I have to I have
to be a part of this. I have to be
the one the cheerleader with both of my pom poms
to to help help this thing grow. And that's what
it has done. Yes, yes, it's grown. It's grown. And
you know, the community over the years. It ain't always
have been like this, you know for us, Yeah, you know,
(42:57):
the days people walk by right hand, you know, support
and so forth. You know, this was a labor love
in the beginning, you know, and we were so thankful
that people have come and large numbers to help support
Malik Books to grow our brand and continue. And they're like,
what we're doing think because you know, and we book activists.
You know, when we use books to change the conversation,
(43:20):
we use books to help people make a difference in
their lives. You know, there are many ways and there
are many people doing a lot of things. And so
I'm grateful that I got you and me working together
to build a world with books. Culture ain't community books
(43:42):
for me. I mean I wasn't a reader. I read
because I had to in nursing school. You had to read.
But just me picking up a book that wasn't me
until I've seen you, until I said always, well, I
gotta know what I'm talking about, began to leisure read,
(44:03):
and me leisure reading. Having that mirror for my daughter.
My daughter is a reader. She reads what he reads
it and when she see me fall off, she's like, Mom,
we're gonna read tonight. Hello, we're gonna read tonight. Say no,
So she encourages me. Say how that mayor works. She
encourages me to get back into reading leisurely and to
know things that help you grow outside of your environment. Oh,
(44:29):
the pictures are beautiful. And she's read in the last
year a hundred books, probably because in the pandemic she
read seventy books. That's right, that's right. She's an avid
reader and she liked to read them. Think books, books
on you know. We You know, you got to spread
(44:49):
your win when it comes to read. You gotta find
the niche that you like. You can't force the subject matter.
If you want to encourage someone to read, you gotta
find books, which whether it's comic books, graphic books, you know,
or historic books or whatever. You got to find a
book that's brain food reading exactly. You know, you want
(45:09):
to keep the interest. You know, I was a science
fiction reader growing up. You know, what's your favorite type
of book to read? When I first when I like
novels like grounds, stuff like that, I can go all
over you know, I can go all over the place
(45:30):
and enjoy each place I'm I'm going in the book.
Doesn't I don't have to stay one place? Yes, yeah,
you know, and and and that's great, you know over
over time we all expand our base and we grow. Yes, yes,
this has been wonderful. You know. Yeah, I'm gonna have
(45:54):
to bite you all bookshell again and talks. You know,
we got to go into more about you know, maybe
how we're mad and yeah, you sometimes you're in the
right place at the right time. Yes, and that's how
(46:19):
I met secret weapon. Yo, y'all got to find your
secret weapon because I got mine. Thank you for having me,
and I will be welcome to come back anytime you have. Folks. Sure,
thank you for being with us today and sharing your
(46:40):
story with Maliek's bookshelf. Thank you, Afel and have a
blessed day. Thanks for listening to Melik's Bookshelf with topics
on the show. Our books, culture, and communities. Be sure
to subscribe and leave me a review. Check out my
Instagram at blik ox. See you next time,
Yeah. Yeah, My lag bus has all the knowledge you want.
My lag but has how the knowledge you need. My
ledge books, Yeah, they have all the works that the
whole wide world want to read. My League books, Malik's
(00:26):
Bookshew bringing a world together with books, culture and community.
This is our fourth episode and you will not be
disappointed because we got fired on this fourth episode because
we're here to contribute to the mother of civilization. The
title of this episode, it is called Black girl Magic.
(00:51):
That's right. Let me say it again, Black girl magic
and black girl magic is a movement today because the
contribute is that black women and black girls have contributed
to our community and this nation. Are incredible and need
to be celebrated. Black women are the mother of civilization
(01:16):
and they have been the backbone of a movement that
has helped transform our community in this nation. They suffer
from a double negative, but yet a perseverance. So this
titled this episode black girl Magic, is to celebrate their
beauty and the glory and the magnificence of Black women.
(01:42):
Our guests featured on this episode on mothers, teachers, authors, entrepreneurs, artists,
their own song ship roles, and they are the black
girl Magic. So state soon and let's get into this
(02:02):
episode black Girl Magic. Longtime supporter, friend, family member, She's
been one of my biggest fans for what we do
here at Mileak Books, and I'm gonna got to have
her on the Leak Book Show. I want she considered
(02:23):
family does? That's right, sister and everything? So why do
you continue to support us? And why do you love
to read? I love to read because reading is you're
becoming aware of of your environment and everything that's around you.
Your reading takes you to another place that you can't
go with television and going to the movies. Reading expands
(02:49):
your knowledge, It expands your awareness, it expands just your universe.
Reading is bigger than you. Yes, yes it does. Yeah.
Out of favorite book, I have a favorite book. One
of my favorite books is Malcolm X and I learned
(03:10):
so much about that book. It wasn't it wasn't just
about Islam. It was about daily life period. Another one
of my favorite books is Deepa Chopra The Seven Spiritual
Laws of Success. Oh my God, and I was reading
that book for about maybe two years because I read
it every now and then before I realized that each
(03:34):
day of a week, you don't like wait a minute.
It was like an e eemphony, like what wait a minute?
Seventh Spiritual Laws and Success, And it was a gig
one law a day. But it's an excellent book. It
it gets my mind right. When my mind gets everyone
gets a little off track, and it works. It can
(03:54):
change your life, you know, improve your life. It works
with work. Is that we read a lot of books
and we don't apply it says. It says, to be still,
be still for a minute. And then it also appreciate neighbors.
I appreciate not neighbors. I'm sorry, appreciate nature. Nature, not neighbors. Neighbors. Neighbors.
(04:22):
Neighbors make up communities, Yes they do. The community is
very important. Takes a whole village. So so what so
it says, take It says, whenever you meet someone, present
them with a gift, whether it be a thought. You
don't have to tell them with you. You can send
them a real positive thought. You could give them a
little note to say, hey, you look great, You're an
(04:44):
amazing person. Yeah, And you could give them a smile.
You could give them anything that they may not you
and may have been the only person that smiled at
them that day. You know, what I mean. And you
could bring them a flower, You could take a little
flower off of book. Remember how kids used to do
that to you, Like you can still do that as
an adult. And it's not it's not it's the idea
(05:07):
behind the gift that matters, you know what I'm saying.
So you can send people well wishes and they don't
even know you're sending them. And I learned all that
from that book Seven Special Laws of Success. Hey, you
can get at your story humbly. Absolutely, we have all
those types of books. Those are good books. Yeah, that's
a transformative book. Well, hey, leave us with something about
yourself in terms of who and what you are and
(05:30):
what you do, because you've been a community entrepreneur as
long as I've known you. You've helped people, um improve
the quality of their life just in their parents and
that in terms of hair and dress and um. And
you've just been an example of a go getter and
a strong black woman. So touch you on. Well, um
(05:51):
I started. Let me see, ever since a child, I've
been into the arts, so and I've been into um,
I've always been very optimistic thinker. So I've always like
I used to take dresses and selim onto my dolls.
I couldn't take the dresses off. I was on my dogs,
(06:11):
but I didn't and it was so cute in the front.
But so that's when I started. I realized that I
started having it. I had a really strong interest in fashion.
So since then I started. I'm a self tough milliner,
and a milliner as someone who makes hats from scratch.
So I'm a self tough milliner and from that, that's
how I journeyed. I always wanted to do wardrop. That's
how I journeyed into doing fashion wardrobe because a friend
(06:35):
of this artist named Raphael Sadiq was like, hey, Rappio,
we love your hats, and I really he said, yeah,
I'm gonna take them and show him your hats. So
he did and then so I went to show Raphael
my hats and he loved them and he said, have
you ever been on tour before? I'm like, now, because
I want you want to go with us? Um And
that's when So my first tour was with Lucy Pearl
and it was pretty amazing. UM. So that was my
(06:57):
first tour. Then I worked with everyone from Casey and
Joe Joe. I worked with Eric kabat Do. I worked
with Anthony Hamilton's and it was just like murder, word
of mouth. I work with Jaquar right, So it was
this like a whole hundred people that I worked with.
I don't know if there's this new artist named Blasts,
I work with him too, um so um justiz oh
(07:18):
um Sway. When Sway was with Way Text, it wasn't
like a whole bunch of people that work with since
the nineties. So I called myself retired, but people still
keep calling me like to do bullies and like all
kinds of stuff like Okay, that's that's my calleag because
I really believe the fashion is art. So it's more
it's more to me than just like you go to
(07:40):
you go to um to Macy's store my clothes. I'm
getting there. I'm getting there. Okay, we're there, like I'm
getting there. So so yeah. So so that's one of
my one of my strongest thing is like our casing
motivating I do hear, which believe I've been lacking here
for over third three years and and the reason that
(08:03):
I love locking here so much because it pushed me
in touch with the community, keeps me going. It started
me in the fashion business because the guy who came
and said, hey, I want to take to show these
house to Raphiel, I was doing this here. I'm also
a student at cal State Demmingus University. I am double
majoring in art and UM psychology real talk, and so
(08:25):
that means that, um, it ain't never too late to
get that paper, A never late to get that degree.
It's never too and we're gonna be your biggest fans
when you get that. Absolutely, even they never let in
in this world. That's a mouth stone. When you get
that paper and they't never too late, you can't stop
using the brain week. Absolutely, knowledge is power. Knowledge is power. Yes,
(08:46):
it is. It never gets old. It is the gift
that keeps on getting Yes, and you just heard it
from Melissa Willis. Yeah, let me give you my number
three to three A three three four or five one
three I do lots have been locking here for over
thirty three years. So just call that number, leave a
(09:06):
message if you want to get your hair. Did you
heard it firsthand? Malik's bookshelf, Thank You, good Night Stories
for Rebel Girls one hundred Real life Tales of Black
(09:27):
Girl Magic. We have the editor Lily working and the
four in the book by Kashna Thompson. And I'm just
so delighted to have both of you back on the phone.
We did a wonderful book tour. We kicked it off
at Malik Books at the West Phil Plaza Um. We
started the wave of excitement and I'm so happy that
(09:50):
I was was able to be part of that. And
and I have both of your on the phone again.
So let's talk about your book, this book in which
you picked up, but huge, huge, huge endorsement when you
can get opra Winfy to come forth and promote and
(10:10):
tell everybody. But just before the holidays, this new book series,
good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, a hundred real life
tales of black girl magic, is just the perfect way
to begin to learn about and hear some of these stories,
to learn about those who have paved away and created
a path where there was none before. So what I
(10:33):
do know for sure is that you all will take inspiration.
I'm hoping that at least that you will from these
stories to use your voice in ways that supports and
uplift all the people who around you and your family
and your school, in your neighborhood, in your life and
(10:53):
also continue to uplift yourself. That's what reading does, is
it helps you uplift yourself. So keep on reading. Let's
talk about how did they feel to get this big
endorsement from Oprah Winfred It was super exciting to get
this endorsement from Oprah, Like when she put on her
favorite things list that that's like a huge stamp of approval,
(11:18):
like the hugest stamp us to get on whatever your
product is. And um, it's just like the carry on
top of this huge iceing Sunday of wonderful that has
been the process of this book and the process of
meeting everyone yourself, including going to wonderful bookstores like yours,
and uh, just getting the word out that this book
(11:40):
about black women is available for families all over to
the country and a lot of places around the world.
Absolutely absolutely What about you, Lily, what do you have
to say about picking up that? I mean, I am
just honoring um for her to you know craze the
she has. She not only included the book you know
(12:03):
as part of her favorite theme for this year, but
she was also part of our fast. We had a
virtual celebration for young girls just watch and learn and
dance along, reducate some word of encouragement to them during
that program. So to have her so involved in this
campaign and the celebration of the book has been a
dream come true because I'm a I'm overstand absolutely yes
(12:27):
and Billy Kelly and so yes, yes, yes, she's a
role model, uh, international role model for a woman around
the world. She's a role model for men success. Yeah yeah, yeah.
(12:47):
So in terms of the book, Rebel Girls, what does
it mean for a woman, you know, in a girl
a book like this? Um. Well, in the making of
this book, Linly and I pretty much decided that we
wanted to make a book that we could have had
for ourselves as young girls, you know, uh profile and
(13:08):
the stories of women from all walks of life, from
all time periods. Um from the past always, you know,
from the seventeen hundreds we had Queen and Zinger of
Angola all the way to the present day. Was a
Manda Gorman who sposo eloquently as the last presidential inauguration,
(13:28):
and just across cultures, across UH careers and different bodies, hipes,
different skin texes, everything, all the ways that black women
show up. So we wanted to have a book that
everyone could see a bit of themselves there. So I
think we have really accomplaged that, and the feedback we've
(13:50):
gotten has been amazing and it's just warm in my heart,
as I'm sure as a woman Lay's heart is well.
To have so many people just really being the best
feel leaders for what we've done. Yes, long hunted real
life tales of Black Girl Magic really m Yeah, absolutely,
(14:10):
it definitely warms my heart to just you know, be
able to create a book that is so um, you know,
special and different. There's a lot of kids books that
talk about you know, uh, you know, the center like
animals and talk about different parts of the childhood experience
in different ways, but I don't think there's any children's
book that exists that really talks about black women and
(14:31):
centers to celebrates our stories in this way. You know.
It was really full page illustrations of each woman that
showcase her beauty and strengths and resilience. Um you know,
that's created by black women from cover to covers, has
you know, costs involvement and the leader of the Black
Girl Magic movement and hashtag to really make sure we
(14:51):
carry through the spirit of what that means so yeah,
there's a lot of things that make this book super special.
And I am, you know, rightful to a big part
of it and to bring this to life with And
I'm happy that girls and people everywhere get their hands
on extra things. Everyone can learn a lot from the
stories that we included. You know some you know, I
(15:13):
get this question all the time, people said, they ask me,
they say, uh, what age group? I said, you know,
to me, there's a lot of women in this book
that I never heard of. So I'm telling you that
it's for all ages, just kids. Every age can learn
from reading this book. It's a beautiful illustrated book. It's
(15:37):
a beautiful written book, and it's an exciting book because
it has one hund real life tales of black girl magic.
These are stories you know, back in the day, Um,
when I was growing up. You know, my mom used
to do big time stories and um, you know, I
don't know how much is that, you know, being done today,
(15:57):
But this kind of book, you know, with one hundred
real life tales, you know, you got a hundred days
of wonderful women. They are both the you know internationally,
you know, worldwide American. So you have all these stories
in this book. But what I'm saying is you got one.
(16:18):
I believe you can just read one a day before
you and discuss it before you go to bed. That's
a wonderful suggestion. What do you have to say about that? Well,
Mr Glee, I don't know if you remember, but the
youngest girl we met on the tour was that story
book story. She was only two months old. So if
her parents can get it for her and you can
(16:39):
learn from it, there is no age in it. And
I think that the fact that we have so many
stories and it's so much to learn and discuss, like
we have a hundred stories. But also in the back
of the book we have activities for the readers to
do on their own, like both picture of themselves or
right there old story of Black Girl, Magic and Black
(17:00):
and also a guy to all of the other black
women that were be Sure and the other good Night
stories books about rebel girls. So the book has so
much to offer and there's really no age minuit on it.
It's no age limit, no gender limit if it's a
girl or boy, because there's someone from another country, if
it's someone that's in America. The book has so much
(17:23):
to offer, so it's just limit list because Shan, I
need you because lially pointed out that you are the
creator of the black girl Magic hashtag. So I just
you know, that became a movement. I just you know,
I want you to touch on that. Some years ago,
um I started saying black girls our magic online and
it turned into the hashtag black girl Magic. But way
(17:46):
before then, I was a little kid out here in
DC and I was being raised like some amazing black
women my mom, my grandma's, my auntie is my older cousin.
And I literally thought, because I too was raised on
bedtime stories that started once upon a time, I thought
that magic was real, and I thought that what I
thought black womanhood was magic. So that's something that I
(18:09):
always thought. And then as I grew up and started
going to school and having friends, I thought it wasn't
just my family, it was my teachers and my friends.
And then it was a woman I would see in
media on TV like Oprah herself and scores of other
black women. So that's what shape my understanding of black
girls seeing magic. So it was just something I decided
(18:31):
to share with the world at the time that I
thought black woman really needed to boost well I know,
I know that a lot of my posts I put
black girl magic literally literally. UM, what does it mean
to be a rebel girl? You know? Rebel girls? Really
there is no age limit to that either. UM that
(18:52):
at Repel Girls, that the company Rebel Girls itself is
the media brand and globallydia brand that UM and still
confident and encourages girls to be the heroes of their
own stories and really doing that through storytelling. So, you know,
to be a rebel girl means to really pursue your
dreams and to understand and unlock your potential UM and
(19:12):
to not let the world dictate which you can and
can't be. And we're here to give them good examples
of you know, women who have decided the odds and
have walked through their purpose and in their truths UM
to become their best selves and even if they were
able to, you know, just be um their fullest spells
and impact their own lives. That makes you a rebel girl.
(19:34):
Or to go on to be a world change maker
you know, and catalyzed movements that really impact the lives
of thousands of not millions. UM. And that also you
know qualifies as a rebel girl. But there is no um.
You know, there are no expectations that we put on
young girls beyond just encouraging them to be their best
selves and to uh to really pursue their dreams. Well,
(19:57):
you know, I would consider my mother, mother and my
grandmother a rebel girl in the sense that you know, um,
just what they had to overcome in the errors and
it made a difference in my life. And and so
many people like my grandmother who used to give out
five hundred dollars if you graduated from high school, a
(20:18):
thousand dollars if you graduated from college. And she was
doing that on shoes string money. You know, she had
a fixed income, but she always found a way to
help the least fortunate. So that's when my mother put
together a foundation and called the Creusadive Praise Scott Foundation
to help you know, freshman in college. You know, I
(20:40):
consider that you know them rebels and so um. And
I know that the resilience of black woman, you know,
in a market around the world have contributed tremendously to
the accomplishments worldwide. And so you know, that's why I
love about this book because his point out to contribute
is that the women have made and it's important so
(21:03):
lially again, why is it? Why was it important that
all the I guess, the illustrators, all the writers, the editor,
everything about this book was tied to black woman? Can
you talk about that? That important? Absolutely? It was so important.
I mean, I've think that was the best way, UM
and the only way that we could tell this these
(21:25):
stories as authentically as possible because you know, in my
personal opinion, I think black women you know, know our
stories best and know how to tell them best. And
there are so many nuances to UM, how we tell
our stories and the things that we go through that
we really only understand. And you know, Kashawn and I
(21:45):
was here to help guys that UM storytelling through both
be written and the visual UM, you know, creation of
these stories to help make this appropriate for kids and UM,
you know, help them better understand and you know, keep
black kids in the Black kids wouldn't like what it
means to be a black woman, and in many different
(22:05):
ways that we show up is what becomes like and
to not um, you know, perpetuate the stereotypes that we
so often are you know, held against or UM you know,
to make sure that we are shown and depicted in
these illustrations as accurately as possible, that our hair texture
and co questions were accurate in their body side, and
(22:28):
that we had a fair representation of women who show
up and so many different ways across different you know,
sexual identities and live from different you know, from all
parts of the world, that we have their cultural backgrounds accurate.
And you know, I think that's what makes this books
so magical. Who is knowing that it is? You know,
(22:48):
there's black grow magic not only in the women's feature,
but also in all the women who created this book too. Yeah,
I mean the list is extensive. Can you talk about
some of this the people because Shanna is in the
book that you're featured in the book, I know you
touched on a few earlier, but some of the some
of the additional ones who we know, we know Oprah,
(23:11):
we know man Gardens, we know old ladies. But when
we had everyone from Uh, we had Uh Zimbabwe and
mushroom farmer by the name Uh. She does that just
her story blew me away that she had been orphaned
(23:32):
as a as a young person and worked, you know,
as a day neighbor basically to put her brother through school.
And she's not with the school to learning the times
of farming mushroom to help her community and Zimbabwe. So
it wasn't a big thing that she did, but it
was just as impactful as anything that anyone else did.
(23:53):
So we had that. So we had the story of
Rock Fanshawntay, who's the hip hop tioneer here in the
United States. We had the story of Shelley Chisham, who's
a very breaking politician. Umappranis we all know is uh
iconic and legendary singer and songwriter and musical musicians that
(24:16):
lives there my lifetime that I had the pleasure enjoying
her art. So we had people from all walks of life,
American U ladies from the African continent in Germany and
China and everywhere around the world. Because that's what black
women and what we do are. We're global, We're manafacturing
success in every time period, in every place. We wanted
(24:40):
everyone to have the pleasure in the privilege of, you know,
being exposed to these stories and seeing a bit of
themselves in it. Literally, what's your favorite story in the book?
Trying to pick a favorite, all of them are faite.
Started out there so many gonna get from you know,
hundreds and hundreds of stories for just one hundreds. UM,
(25:03):
you know we were oh you had to nearly down
then was your part of that part process? Says you
was the editor? Yeah, absolutely, Cashan and I would both
part of that process, and you know we that was
that was one of the two most more challenging priss
because we could include any woman, any black Pool who's
(25:23):
ever existed, you know, um in this book. So we
had to set some criterias and make sure good mix
of you know, creators and champions and leaders and innovators
those are you know for the categories I guess by
good bye and then across time periods and you know
location and you know, uh cultural, professional background, um age
(25:48):
all the things. So it was that was really tough,
but we got it done and but you know, still selling.
The stories that stand out to me most are the storytellers, UM,
because I consider myself one and that's both My career
has been in media and storytelling. So UM, I really
admired and appreciated the story of I to be Well
(26:09):
to Tony Morrison to Octivia Butler, which her illustrated one
of my favorites. UM to abad Renet, you know, more
modern day women like ethere Um, you know Mark by
Martin who's telling me stories in front of and behind
the camera um and is breaking and making history, you know,
(26:29):
at just such a young age. So there's there's definitely
a good, you know, mix of all kinds of women,
but the media movers and shakers, the people who can't
ask me as well. I think that you narrowed it
down to a wonderful selection that the hundred, because I
know there are thousands of strong Black women and women
in general that out there that you had you choose from,
(26:51):
and so you made a wonderful selection. I enjoyed the book.
I made sure my daughter had a copy of that.
You know, she's thirteen, and I think it's important for
her to, you know, on a black woman because you're
the mother of civilization. I mean, women are the mothers
civilization without child, there's no civilization without women. We you know,
(27:14):
we as men, we hadn't did it, and so to
to to women simply because we can't give ourselves children.
So hey, you know, y'all, y'all, y'all give the greatest
gift that can ever be given. And that's what that's
children and each generation has come forth through a woman.
So so that's power. Just just like I said, I
(27:35):
think that y'all did a book tour. He kicked it
off at Malik Books and then you went to the
East coast that I believe, the South, all over the country.
And what's next for y'all tour? What's next? What's going
on next? To help push out this wonderful book, Good
Not Stories for Rebel Girls. So if you don't have
the books, you could go to Rebel Girls dot com
(27:56):
and and get a copy there. Um, you know now
it's sure to part of over favorite themes which were
super excited about. So if he used to code over
off the books and any of the other books that
Rebel Girls, Um, now you're gonna cut my legs all.
Don't cut my legs off. Now you know you got
the same dot com? You know you don't absolutely store.
(28:24):
I got an online store, Malague Books dot com where
you can support an independent. Yes, when you support an independent,
I forget American local book store. Who still got some
sign autographed copies of the Rebel Girl Good Night Stories
for Rebel Girls one hundred Real Life, Oh Black Girls.
(28:45):
We got signed copies. We want exactly copies and special
copies as an Eligue book story, so absolutely yeah store. Um,
I want to give a shout out of the relig
Books store in l A, both locations I had the
distinct pleasure of being there, but also braving time and
(29:08):
Decatur right outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and the Lit Bar
in the Bronx, New York City, and also my Hobney
Books right here in d C where I am. They
all I have copies of our book good Night Stories
for Rubber Girls one hundred real Life Tales of Black
Girl Magic, where you can buy independent black own book stores.
(29:31):
And as far as what we was doing that after
this busy fault that we've had, we are enjoying time
at home with our families and still spreading the world
the words the best way we can encouraging everyone to
get a copy of the book and um enjoy give
it away from holiday, give read it on your own
readers to children, have children read it to you, but
(29:54):
you know, nake it and enjoyable experience. And you really
can't not have an enjoyable experience with this book. It's
an amazing thing and a very feel very famoush that
done apartment project and work with Lily? What what? What? What?
This is? This is an excellent book for the holidays.
We cannot say that enough. This book right if you're
(30:17):
looking looking for something to give someone doing this holiday,
I don't care for a girl boy. This book good
Night Story for Rebel Growth one it tells a black
girl is an actually book to give as a gift.
So with that, if you had to leave the community
(30:38):
with one word of inspiration, what would it be. Let's
start with you, Lily, one word of inspiration? Um, you
know I would say what I think this book gives
to um all people who read an adult kids life
with the empowerment empowered and who they are and uh
(31:03):
who they want to be kind and that you know
that they have the ability to become that so of empowerment. Now,
because Shana, what about you, I'm afraid you said, I
want to leave with everyone who reasons book. It feels
inspired that I never forget to spread your magic. Spread
(31:24):
your magic. Well, ladies, I want to thank you for
this wonderful opportunity to talk with both of you who
put together a landmark. You made your contribution. I'm sure
you made it. Another areas. But I know one way
you made it's this wonderful book. This is gonna shake
up the world, create a generation of change from one
(31:48):
generation to the next. Thank you for your wonderful time.
Thank you for putting out being part of this wonderful book.
And we greatly created much success, much success. This is
only gonna be the beginning. You know, It's only gonna
blow up bigger and better, especially when you got Open
Winfrey pushing it fro out of the open. So thank you,
(32:11):
my sisters, Thank you, appreciate it. Thank you so much,
and y'all have a breast weekend. Enjoy today, peace That day,
I got a special guest and she's sitting right here
next to me, and she's always sitting next to me,
(32:33):
and she's been shoulder to shoulder from day one. This
is the secret weapon to Malik Books. And since we're
doing this episode black Girl Magic, well she's the magic
and the secret weapon of Malik Books. Hello April Mohammed, Hello,
(32:54):
Welcome to Malik's Bookshelf. So happy to be yes, I've
been waiting to have you on this explosive new podcast
that I'm hosting and as the co owner of Leak
books and the secret weapon and the glue then and
(33:17):
the magic that make it all go around. I know
that our audience would love to hear from you, a strong,
independent black woman, a mother. I mean, words cannot express
the gratefulness, the gratitude, and the just the love, because
(33:37):
that's the glue that make the world go around. The
love did she has brought to our relationship, to our family,
to our business. Then. You know, most people, you know,
they work at two different jobs when they might meet
(33:59):
up at In our case, we wake up together. We
worked together, we go to sleep together. So I like
to keep it real. I mean, I like to keep
it real. I like to keep it one hunted. And
(34:19):
I know that I can get on your nerves. Sometimes
we under each other all the time. You know what
I'm saying, You've got two different people trying to be one,
trying to be one and not. That's the hardest thing
that you can do. It is, but it's worth in
(34:40):
any end, because we have small children and big children
that it's best to see that we are a team.
Regardless of you get on my nerves, I get on
your nerves. We still go to work together, lads together,
play hard together, and that's a blessing that we have
children that can see that, Like, yeah, I got good
(35:00):
parents that meshed together. It's not it's not an easy thing,
but I feel that it is worth it for that Mary,
for our children. Absolutely. And you gotta have that kind
of spirit. And let me tell you that she has.
That's your one. That's one of your weapons, that spirit
(35:21):
that you have. That gentle and kind and wholesome man.
We got customers to come in all the time. They
ship where is April at? Where's April? That she got
him hook? That's part of the books, that's part of
melique books. She's magic in front of the scene you
(35:44):
made me? What is they fred? What was they fred?
All the time I'm always looking forward. I don't think
I could do nothing without it. Likewise, that's what they
get work. That wouldn't make it work, you know, Like
I said, you know we like two hands with the
fingers are intertwine and it just works, you know, and
(36:07):
it's magic. But don't mean you know, I don't rub
her some way or she don't rub me some way,
because that's just you know, friction is would make the fire,
and that's what makes you grow and immature. And in
bond even greater. So how has your journey Tell the
(36:28):
audience about your journey with maliek Books. Well, my journey
started with Malik books. Um um about I guess you yeah,
I guess you could say your journey started with Malik
inter myself with books was about fifteen years ago. I
actually came from the nursing film a nurse by trade.
(36:51):
And um, yes, I've seen my husband. I've seen him
have a vision in these in these books, and I've
seen the past and in him and me as a wife.
You know, I am a cheerleader. I'm as big as fan.
I'm as biggest cheerleader. I know how to play my
position and let him enjoy this journey and I don't
mind doing it. That's part of my magic is allowing
(37:13):
him to be the face of Leak Books and this
is his brand, and I want to be part of
the brand and a peaceful brand that everybody loves. Hello. Hello,
And that's why you know, she let me be me
absolutely and she hey, and she also helps me to
be a better me. Yeah, you know, because change is
(37:40):
good if it's for the better. If it's for the better,
and I believe that we have both given each other
that gift of change, of growth. Better, don't teach other. Absolutely,
I'm a better man today and I'm a better woman. Hello.
Together we can do more. Yeah. Yes, So she's a
(38:01):
major part of the magic that makes Malik Books what
it is. And she is so supportive of my podcast,
Malik's Bookshelf because I ain't never done nothing like this
and I never even sold myself doing nothing like this
number this episodes. This is the fourth Episodeater Building the Square.
(38:25):
We on the Square route now. Yes, yes, So it's
like when you when you she's the face of Malik Books,
you know, I she's on the book marks, um on
a lot of the you know, different logos and what
have you. And I made sure, I made sure that
(38:49):
the secret weapon of Malik Books is a major part
of our brand. We just met Terry Cruise the other
day and he loved term secret weapon. I've been calling
her that for how long, seventeen years? A black woman
(39:10):
that's a nurse, a black woman that's an entrepreneur. You know,
she had different businesses before I met her along with
her being a nurse. All right, she's a mother, can
cook her, but off, don't let me tell you about
the tool. Ain't chicken, t ain't chicken that she may
(39:35):
don't let me tell you about that. I'm still and
that was years ago, but I was more than years
ago still because I could still taste it. It was suckling,
can cook? Can? I mean? Man? Just like my magic.
That's why I called her a checker weapon. People say,
or are you calling? Because she got weapons of masks? Hello,
(39:58):
weapons of mass destruction, ship god gifts and I like
to celebrate and that's what this episode, Black girl, magic
episode is all about. Celebrating the magic or black woman.
That's what this episode. And you're a major part of
magic that makes Malik Books what it is today, your
(40:22):
spirit and your gifts a fourth episode. What you want
to tell the audience, April, We don't want to leave
anything out. We want them to know a little bit
about yourself. They know you've been a nurse, they know
that you are a part owner of Malik Books. Um.
(40:45):
What else we want to let them know about you? Well,
that's approvening card. I was a nurse by trade. I'm
a con owner of Malik Books. Um, I have children,
and you know I believe that confidence is everything. Um,
My confidence is silent. You know. Sometimes people just gravitate,
(41:05):
not sometimes most of the time of the time, just
gravitates to me and you know, tell me their life story.
Because I believe that your confidence is silent, is not loud.
For me, it's not loud. So when I sit and
I looking observed, that's a gift in itself, it is,
that's a gift in itself. And people open up me
all the time. And you got mad, you got mad
(41:29):
confidence and you instill that and children, Yes, and it's
a mus And one of the things I want to
say about you as a as a woman, as a
mother is the fact that being a mother comes easy
(41:50):
for you. And I've witnessed many mothers, but you, for you,
it's just you. You're You're you know, You're a nurture,
you know, and that's why you was a nurse. I mean,
it's been a nurse. This is why you're doing what
you're doing as a book activists. Now, along with Joe,
co founded my leak, you know, serving the community with books,
(42:15):
you know, And I jumped right into it. Books. The
love that you had for um this link books, and
I was seeing the love that you have for the community,
for help for the help nurture people through books. I've
(42:35):
seen it. I said, oh, I have to I have
to be a part of this. I have to be
the one the cheerleader with both of my pom poms
to to help help this thing grow. And that's what
it has done. Yes, yes, it's grown. It's grown. And
you know, the community over the years. It ain't always
have been like this, you know for us, Yeah, you know,
(42:57):
the days people walk by right hand, you know, support
and so forth. You know, this was a labor love
in the beginning, you know, and we were so thankful
that people have come and large numbers to help support
Malik Books to grow our brand and continue. And they're like,
what we're doing think because you know, and we book activists.
You know, when we use books to change the conversation,
(43:20):
we use books to help people make a difference in
their lives. You know, there are many ways and there
are many people doing a lot of things. And so
I'm grateful that I got you and me working together
to build a world with books. Culture ain't community books
(43:42):
for me. I mean I wasn't a reader. I read
because I had to in nursing school. You had to read.
But just me picking up a book that wasn't me
until I've seen you, until I said always, well, I
gotta know what I'm talking about, began to leisure read,
(44:03):
and me leisure reading. Having that mirror for my daughter.
My daughter is a reader. She reads what he reads
it and when she see me fall off, she's like, Mom,
we're gonna read tonight. Hello, we're gonna read tonight. Say no,
So she encourages me. Say how that mayor works. She
encourages me to get back into reading leisurely and to
know things that help you grow outside of your environment. Oh,
(44:29):
the pictures are beautiful. And she's read in the last
year a hundred books, probably because in the pandemic she
read seventy books. That's right, that's right. She's an avid
reader and she liked to read them. Think books, books
on you know. We You know, you got to spread
(44:49):
your win when it comes to read. You gotta find
the niche that you like. You can't force the subject matter.
If you want to encourage someone to read, you gotta
find books, which whether it's comic books, graphic books, you know,
or historic books or whatever. You got to find a
book that's brain food reading exactly. You know, you want
(45:09):
to keep the interest. You know, I was a science
fiction reader growing up. You know, what's your favorite type
of book to read? When I first when I like
novels like grounds, stuff like that, I can go all
over you know, I can go all over the place
(45:30):
and enjoy each place I'm I'm going in the book.
Doesn't I don't have to stay one place? Yes, yeah,
you know, and and and that's great, you know over
over time we all expand our base and we grow. Yes, yes,
this has been wonderful. You know. Yeah, I'm gonna have
(45:54):
to bite you all bookshell again and talks. You know,
we got to go into more about you know, maybe
how we're mad and yeah, you sometimes you're in the
right place at the right time. Yes, and that's how
(46:19):
I met secret weapon. Yo, y'all got to find your
secret weapon because I got mine. Thank you for having me,
and I will be welcome to come back anytime you have. Folks. Sure,
thank you for being with us today and sharing your
(46:40):
story with Maliek's bookshelf. Thank you, Afel and have a
blessed day. Thanks for listening to Melik's Bookshelf with topics
on the show. Our books, culture, and communities. Be sure
to subscribe and leave me a review. Check out my
Instagram at blik ox. See you next time,
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