ICYMI: We chatted with Brooklyn-based writer, creative director, poet and actor Joel Leon about the audacity to chase every creative ambition you have.  #Conversate is a Twitter Spaces series engaging Black writers and the Black writing community at large in conversation about the challenges, trials and beauty of storytelling.  Our first #Conversate guest, Joel Leon, is possibly an expert at reaching for the stars while staying grounded in the everyday rhythms of adult life. He is a writer, a Twitter favorite, an author, a TedTalk speaker, a creative director at the New York Times, a ..read more

I’ve read a ton of articles about the Black maternal health crisis, and frankly, I’m tired. I’ve watched The Business of Being Born and read that piece Serena wrote after she nearly died giving birth to her daughter. I even wrote a few of those think pieces and op-eds that caused the topic to hit a fever pitch in 2017. So, when I was asked to watch Aftershock, a documentary about the Black maternal health crisis, I felt somewhat prepared for what I was about to watch. I expected to get a rundown of devastating statistics like how the US has the worst maternal mortality rate among developed cou ..read more

On the morning of June 24th, just before the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, I waited for birth worker, activist and reproductive psychologist, Raven Freeborn (they/them) to hop on our Zoom call. When they joined, a bit frazzled, they excused their tardiness by explaining that they just got off a string of planning calls to organize resources and protests in response to the decision. I told them I couldn’t think of a more appropriate reason to be late for this particular conversation. Over the course of an hour, we talked about birth work, death work, the fall of Roe v. Wade and the misunder ..read more

Widely-touted diversity campaigns, black squares on Instagram pages, and hiring efforts that solicit marginalized candidates — are these things helping the tech industry become more accessible? Or has racism simply been carefully rebranded as a hiring challenge? Founder of Black Tech Pipeline and the #BlackTechTwitter movement, Pariss Chandler (known on Twitter as Pariss Athena) talks about how she broke into tech after leaving a dead-end career and why tech needs to do more than just hire Black people.  Pariss, you’re a software engineer, a front-end developer, a founder, a community le ..read more

CRWNMAG is a place for Black mothers and we value your contributions as we continue to be the most beautiful & honest representation of Black women in the history of print.   ..read more

An Intimate Chat with the Author of Life, I Swear: Intimate stories from Black women on Identity, Healing and Self-Trust Tell me a bit about yourself. Who are you/where are you from, what do you believe in, what is your mission? I had a very nomadic and transient life growing up, which has kept me in a constant state of discovery even until now. I was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; my father’s side is from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo and my mother’s side is white from Northern California. My mother and I moved around a lot, nearly every year to a different apartment, city ..read more

There’s never been a better time for expression through our hair. Whether you’re braided or twisted up, loc’ed, bald, blown out or just flowing freely — we got hair inspiration for your unique head of hair, this fall and year-round. Words by Asha Abdul Image by Island Boi As a young girl, I felt as if there were only two options when it came to Black hair: a perm or “natural hair.” My mother didn’t believe in perms, so seeing the brown skin girl with a press-and-curl on the Just For Me box was my childhood torture.  As I matured, it seemed that Black hairstyles matured with me. Going ..read more

If you want a list of products to try and shove away into a cabinet somewhere, this is not that. Seasoned stylist, Kia Fay (a.k.a. @kiathecurlconsultant), schools us on how to choose & evaluate products that will keep your hair and scalp healthy year-round. by Kia Fay Hey, is it cool if I share some education with you that I've learned from styling hundreds of heads of hair? Some of it may be different than what you were taught in the past, but real talk — I'm not here to make a buck off of selling products. I just want folks to have the healthiest relationship with their crown possible. H ..read more

There are countless reasons to adore Tracee Ellis Ross — starting with her style and wit, all the way down to how she advocates for us. Her spirited personality and her authenticity make her magnetic.  So here are (some of) the top reasons we’re lifelong stans. Here goes:  1. Tracee Ellis Ross x Pyer Moss Campaign There’s no doubt that Tracee has secured a spot as one of our fashion icons, but it’s her quirky, lighthearted approach to fashion that we’ve grown to love so much. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, as shown in the 3rd installment of Pyer Moss’s short film. Oh, and t ..read more

We are living amidst a Black creative renaissance. We, Black artists and artisans, have refreshed the soul and raised the aesthetic in every modality of expression. And we’ve done it together. One vibe with an infinite amount of depth and nuance. We are all part of the Black Collective Inspiration. You are reading this because you’re undoubtedly working to leave your mark on this historic time. It is in this spirit that CRWNMAG & The Collective Inspiration was conceived. Empowered by Pinterest, we are offering you, our creative community, the chance for your vision to be immortalized — in ..read more