Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Talented Tuesdays: Franchesca Ramsey

It's Talented Tuesday! Each week, For Nerdy Girls features a digital innovator who inspires colorful women around the world. These are individuals who should be celebrated on a global level, so we'll start by talking about these changemakers right here.




Name: Franchesca Ramsey

Twitter: @chescaleigh

Website: franchesca.net

What she does: Franchesca is an actor, comedian, vlogger, host of the podcast Last Name Basis, host of MTV's Decoded ("a weekly series on MTV News tackling race, pop culture, and other uncomfortable things, in funny and thought-provoking ways"), writer-at-large for Upworthy.com, and writer/contributor for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.




Why she's inspiring: I first learned of Franchesca through the above video, which I thoroughly identified with. She continues to school her audience on racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, privilege, American history, natural hair, and a host of other hot topics in a variety of engaging ways. Franchesca is clever and funny and a role model for activists, feminists, and YouTubing ladies everywhere.



If you would like to nominate a digital innovator for Talented Tuesdays, please let us know in the comments, or email us at ForNerdyGirls [at] gmail [dot] com.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Talented Tuesdays: Dr. Adrienne Keene

It's Talented Tuesday! Each week, For Nerdy Girls features a digital innovator who inspires colorful women around the world. These are individuals who should be celebrated on a global level, so we'll start by talking about these changemakers right here.




Name: Dr. Adrienne Keene

Twitter: @NativeApprops

Website: nativeappropriations.com

What she does: Dr. Adrienne Keene is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Brown University studying Native higher education.

Why she's inspiring: Dr. Keene, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, created the blog Native Appropriations, which addresses the ongoing misrepresentations of indigenous peoples in popular culture. I first learned about Dr. Keene's body of work from her episode of the Another Round podcast. She is a leader in research on college access for Native students, analysis of appropriations of Native cultures, and showcasing Native narratives and identities.

Dr. Keene is letting the world know that Native peoples are not magical creatures or extinct species. Native people are individuals living in complex, diverse communities with hundred of languages and thousands of ways of being.



If you would like to nominate a digital innovator for Talented Tuesdays, please let us know in the comments, or email us at ForNerdyGirls [at] gmail [dot] com.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Talented Tuesdays: Tracy Clayton & Heben Nigatu

It's Talented Tuesday! Each week, For Nerdy Girls features a digital innovator who inspires colorful women around the world. These are individuals who should be celebrated on a global level, so we'll start by talking about these changemakers right here.




Names: Tracy Clayton & Heben Nigatu

Twitter: @brokeymcpoverty & @heavenrants

Website: buzzfeed.com/tracyclayton & heavenrants.tumblr.com/writingandpress




What they do: Tracy is a Staff Writer at BuzzFeed, and Heben is a Senior Editor at BuzzFeed.

Why they are inspiring: Heben and Tracy host the BuzzFeed podcast, Another Round. They have interviewed such as luminaries as First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, emperor of Nerdland Melissa Harris-Perry, and comedy pioneer Margaret Cho. They have introduced me to the work of other amazing women like Kaya Thomas, fellow Caribbean native Stacy-Marie Ishmael, and Dr. Adrienne Keene.  They advocate for issues including self-care, mental health, anti-racism, career success, and women's safety.

Heben and Tracy also tell a range of jokes from corny to  that make me giggle. In a podcast sea of whiteness and maleness, these two ladies provide a safe space lifeboat for colorful women everywhere.



If you would like to nominate a digital innovator for Talented Tuesdays, please let us know in the comments, or email us at ForNerdyGirls [at] gmail [dot] com.