Katura J. Hudson

This cutie wrote a book report on the picture book I did with Sylvia Walker: I’m A Big Sister Now . Look at the sharp commentary! And she gave it 5 stars. Thanks Skylar!

No Skips.  You know the times you listen to music all the way through, not wanting to miss a song? That's what BlackWeek was like. Stage after stage of powerful content thoughtfully curated to help advance opportunity and economic growth in Black and Brown communities and “move the culture forward.” One of the things that stuck with me when I first heard about BlackWeek: they offered pay equity pricing in acknowledgement of the pay disparities between women, women of color and male counterparts. That intentionality showed up throughout the entire event, from the onsite barber services by Bevel to the BlackWeek app, which I'm still revisiting a week later. Congratulations and THANK YOU to the BlackWeek founders and planning team for this much-needed space, vision, and the greatness it’s inspiring!  Learn more. Photo description: 1. Joe Anthony, Dabo Che and Gabrielle Shirdan present at the “Black Lemonade” panel. Gabrielle is standing near a large screen displaying a slide that...

Sonia Sanchez turned 90 on Monday, September 9 and there was a celebration!! People paid tribute through word, dance, song. And the best thing besides hearing so many share with Sister Sonia how much she means to them and us all, was hearing her say ‘thank you’ right there from her seat, every time. Photo descriptions: Sweet Honey in the Rock perform on stage at the Schomburg; Katura, Renee Watson and Cheryl Willis Hudson together at the Schomburg step and repeat; Sonia Sanchez stands on stage at the Schomburg. She is near her birthday cake with her hands up in celebration  

Appreciation post for George Ford!  Our conversations always make me want to grab a pen and paper. At 98 (he just shared his age on Facebook) he’s full of wisdom and fire. Uncle George’s most recent charge for us? BE BOLD! Photo description: George Ford and Katura stand together behind a podium at the Schomburg following Just Us Books' 30th anniversary celebration in 2018

For Black Business Month. In honor of the entrepreneurs and creators in Black book publishing.  And in memory of my friend Raven, whose many gifts included writing. I’m holding her book Padre , which is about the time she spent in Côte d’Ivoire as a Peace Corps volunteer. Photo: Stephan Hudson Photography Photo description: Katura is wearing a gray t-shirt that reads: BLACK authors, editors, illustrators, agents, publishers, distributors and bookstores. In her hands is a paperback copy of Padre, by Raven Moore.

I never saw her at the polling place. She always went early and beat me there. And for a good 15 years, while we shared a polling location, before I signed my name I’d scan the page for hers.  Local elections. National elections. Lurline Jones Hudson’s vote was placed and counted.  I never thought about the very first time she voted. But my dad did. And he wrote a book inspired by that day and the long fight it took us to get there.  The Day Madear Voted , by Wade Hudson, illustrated by Don Tate, was released yesterday. It’s an inspiring and important story. Here’s one of my favorite spreads from the book. Madear signing her name. Photo description: Katura holds a closed copy of The Day Madear Voted, which pictured two Black boys waiting for their mom, who is peaking out of the polling booth. In a second photo, a spread from the book, Madear is signing her name and waiting in line to vote.

 Yes, February is Black History Month in the US. However simply *learning* about Black people’s contributions wasn’t the original intent of the observance. Founder Carter G. Woodson advocated for year-round study of Black history. He wanted Negro History Week (precursor to BHM) to be a celebration of all we had learned throughout the year!  I think of Black History Month as less of cram session, more of a graduation.  A few things I learned this past year: Freedom House, a Black ambulance service founded in Pittsburgh inspired today’s EMS system  https://lnkd.in/dJMSy8gt Every year BHM has a theme. This year it’s Black health and wellness. Last year it was the Black family. I’ve been celebrating for decades and had NO idea!  Entrepreneur Maggie Lena Walker, best known for being the first woman to own a US bank, was also a PR pro. She published a newsletter, pitched other media outlets to get coverage for an org dedicated to Black financial advancement, and used ...