On today’s show, we’re chatting with Dr. Kimberly McGlonn, an award-winning social entrepreneur, working at the intersections of social justice and environmentalism. You might know her as the founder & CEO of Grant Blvd, and now Blk Ivy, which is a Philadelphia-based secondhand store that specializes in cultural artifacts celebrating the aesthetics and work of the Civil Rights movement.
Her work has been featured by Fast Company, Inc Magazine, Essence, and has been funded by Beyonce’s BeyGood Foundation. In 2022 she was a recipient of the Visa’s “She’s Next in Fashion Award” and the Black Enterprise “Business Disruptor of the Year” award, and ultimately, her goal is to inspire others to see the power of fashion as and for activism.
This episode was indeed inspiring – and rich with history! – and Kimberly even gave us a little preview into her latest book. I’ll let her tell you the whole story. I think you’re gonna love it – so let’s dive right in!
DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:
- [3:40] Kimberly loved the 90s style she grew up in, but got hooked on vintage through a 1960s dress found in Chicago.
- [6:22] Her professional career started as a public school teacher, and she has always been an educator.
- [7:28] Her social entrepreneur initiative in fashion was Grant Blvd.
- [11:25] Learning about Black Ivy style.
- [16:29] The rich history of Sunday best as an aesthetic of the Civil Rights movement.
- [22:50] A lot of research went into telling the story of the clothing sold in Blk Ivy.
- [25:07] How the space at Blk Ivy Thrift is used for present day social justice work.
- [27:04] Kimberly’s book, Build It Boldly
EPISODE MENTIONS:
- Blk Ivy Thrift
- @blkivythrift
- Build It Boldly (book)
- Netflix documentary, 13th
- I Called Him Morgan
- Black Ivy (book)
- Arcana bookstore in LA
- Take Ivy
- King in the Wilderness documentary
- Angela Davis
- Unbought and Unbossed by Shirley Chisolm
- The music of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Sam Cooke
LET’S CONNECT:
- 📸Instagram: @emilymstochl
- 🐦Threads: @emilymstochl
- 🎥TikTok: @emilymstochl
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