How Black Love Stories Shape Culture and Why the World Needs Yours

Octavia Marie: 00:00:36

Hello, hello.

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Hey, beautiful.

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Welcome back to Culture Lit, the

podcast where black women's love

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stories, healing journeys, and

cultural brilliance take center stage.

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I'm your host, Octavia Marie, and

today's episode is one I've been

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holding close to my heart for a while

because this one's personal, it's

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spiritual, it's cultural, it's political.

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We're talking about storytelling,

but not in a build your brand way.

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We're talking about the way black women's

stories shape culture and how your

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story might just be the most radical

thing you've been keeping to yourself,

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but we're also talking about something

incredibly exciting that's happening

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right now in our romance community.

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The wave of Black romance novels being

adapted for film and television stories

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that started as whispers in our community

are now becoming mainstream conversations

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and that visibility, that representation.

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It matters more than you might realize.

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Let me start here.

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Over the last year, I've been

starting over in more ways than one.

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At 54, I left behind a life I knew too

well, corporate cycles, high functioning

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burnout, playing by rules I never agreed

to, and I started listening to the whisper

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that had been with me the whole time.

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There's more, more life, more freedom.

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More joy, more me.

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I spent a month in Puo Vallarta,

living slow, waking up with the

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sun, building a business with my

story at the center, testing out

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what soft power really feels like.

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Learning that starting over isn't

about erasing who you've been.

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It's about finally becoming who

you've always known you could be.

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And I realized something profound

during those sun soaked mornings

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with my books and my matcha.

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The world may have taught black

women to survive, but we are the

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ones teaching the world how to live.

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We are the ones showing what resilience

looks like with grace, what strength

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looks like with softness, what

starting over looks like with intention

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and joy rather than desperation.

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You've probably heard the phrase

black women set the culture,

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but it's not a soundbite.

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It's the truth.

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Think about it.

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Insecure made space for softness and

imperfection in black womanhood showing

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us that we could be messy and still

be lovable, that we could be figuring

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it out and still be worth rooting for.

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Lemonade cracked open global conversations

about pain, legacy, and healing.

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Giving the world permission to examine

generational trauma while celebrating

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our capacity for transformation.

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The rise of Indie Black Romance is

reclaiming pleasure, power, and emotional

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depth in our love stories, showing that

black love doesn't have to be trauma

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porn, or respectability politics.

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It can just be joyful, steamy.

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Complex and healing from TikTok

trends to political strategy,

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from fashion to food culture.

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Our stories move everything.

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We create the language, we set

the tone, we show the world what's

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possible, and yet too often we're

still taught to shrink, to silence,

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to wait until we're polished enough.

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Perfect enough, palatable enough.

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This episode is for the ones

who are tired of playing small.

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For the ones who are done waiting to

be chosen and for the ones who are

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ready to reclaim their narrative,

not just romantically, but in every

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part of their life, because being

visible as a black woman, that's

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not just a PR move that's healing.

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Many of us were taught that being

seen was unsafe, that our emotions

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were too much, that wanting more

was arrogant, so we got quiet.

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Strategic, controlled, and yet

inside something still whispers.

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There's more, I wanna say more.

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I wanna be, that's not

ego, that's purpose.

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It's why I fell in love with black

romance novels in the first place,

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because so often the heroine has

to choose herself publicly, loudly,

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softly, with risk, with courage.

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And in that moment, whether she's

walking away, standing up, or

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falling in love, she becomes free.

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That's what visibility can look like.

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Not just content, but presence,

not just press, but purpose.

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And speaking of visibility and

representation, I have to talk about

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something that has me absolutely thrilled.

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The surge of Black Romance novels

being adapted for film and television.

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Y'all.

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Our stories are finally getting

the spotlight they deserve,

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and it's changing everything.

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Let's start with the Perfect Fine by

Tia Williams, which was adapted into a

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Netflix movie starring Gabrielle Union.

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This story about second chances in love

and career set against a vibrant backdrop

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of fashion and media showed the world

that Black Romance can be glamorous,

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fun, and commercially successful.

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Seeing Gabrielle Union embody

that sophisticated, complex

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heroine was everything, but Tia

Williams isn't stopping there.

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Her novel Seven days in June, that

steamy emotional rollercoaster about two

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writers rekindling a childhood connection

has been optioned for film adaptation.

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If you've read this book, you know

how layered and beautiful it is.

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The way Williams handles trauma healing,

and the complexity of black love is

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extraordinary, and I cannot wait to

see how that translates to screen.

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Then there's Kennedy Ryan Skyland series,

which is in development for TV at Peacock.

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Y'all already know how I feel

about the Skyland series.

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It's everything.

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The way Kennedy handles social

issues, family dynamics, and

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romantic tension is unmatched.

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Seeing those stories adapted for

television is going to be incredible, and

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I have full faith that they'll do justice

to the depth and nuance of her work.

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But here's what really has me excited.

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It's not just traditionally published

authors getting this recognition.

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The indie authors who've been

building loyal readerships are

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also getting their flowers.

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J.

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L Seeger's self-published titles

Restore Me and Revive Me from Her

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New Haven Romance Series have been

optioned for television adaptation.

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The New Haven series gained viral traction

on TikTok, garnering over 16 million

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views under related hashtags, and becoming

a standout in the book talk community.

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These novels trace the interwoven

romantic lives of several couples.

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Over more than a decade exploring themes

of trauma, healing, and emotional recovery

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within a black Southern community.

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From the very first line of

Restore Me, I was hooked.

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The writing style is descriptive and

intriguing with every detail adding

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to the character's personalities.

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What I especially loved was how feelings

were described throughout the book.

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The writing style is more

show than tell, and it worked

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beautifully with the characters

and the overall vibe of the story.

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There's an emphasis on how each

character is feeling in every scene,

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making the book heavy with emotion.

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It's not a light comforting read.

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It's a book that will make you

feel along with the characters and

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hold your breath at crucial moments

due to the intensity of emotions.

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Sloan and Dominic are not perfect people.

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They make bad decisions, don't always

communicate well and are selfish at times,

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but that's what makes them real revive me.

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The second book featuring Chris and

Mallory was heartbreaking and had me

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raging most of the time because of

what these characters had to endure.

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All the trauma and pain they felt, the

nightmares that were slowly killing

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them until they found each other.

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Two broken characters who never knew

what it meant to be truly loved, helped

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heal each other in profound ways.

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Tea and Keisha Menefee Audiobook,

RIFS and Refrains is being adapted

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for TV by Attica Locke and Tim Locke.

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You'll remember them from the

from scratch series on Netflix

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for universal television.

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Riffs and refrain centers on an

aspiring black female writer and

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musician who discovers a hidden

legacy of love, betrayal, and music

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in her estranged grandfather's

past, leading her on a journey of

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discovery and unexpected romance.

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In the heart of Nashville's country music

scene and Memphis, the home of the Blues.

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The musical element combined with

family, legacy and romance, that's

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going to be television Gold, even

shows like Forever on Netflix.

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Adapted from Judy Bloom's novel,

but reimagined with black characters

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by Mara Brock Il shows how our

stories can take any narrative

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and make it authentically ours.

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Akiel explained that when she was

reading in the seventies and eighties.

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There weren't stories about young

love featuring black characters, so

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she saw herself in Bloom's work and

created space for black teens to see

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themselves in this tender love story.

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These adaptations aren't

just entertainment.

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They're reshaping how black love

stories are portrayed in media.

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They're showing the world that

our romance isn't a niche market.

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It's universal storytelling with

specific cultural nuances that

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make it richer, not narrower.

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When mainstream audiences see

these stories on their screens,

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they're getting educated about

the fullness of black experience.

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They're seeing that black romance

can be steamy without being

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stereotypical emotional, without

being traumatic, successful without

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being respectability politics.

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But more importantly, these adaptations

are validation for every black woman who's

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ever been told her story doesn't matter

that her love isn't worth celebrating.

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That her experiences aren't

universal enough to be

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interesting to a broad audience.

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This wave of adaptations represents

something bigger than just entertainment.

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It's about visibility.

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It's about representation.

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It's about taking up space that

was always rightfully ours.

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For too long, black women's stories

were marginalized, seen as niche or

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urban code words that really meant not

valuable enough for mainstream attention.

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But these authors, these stories,

these adaptations are proving that

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our narratives have always been

powerful enough to move culture.

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When JL Seeger's, indie novels

get picked up for television,

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that's not just success for her.

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It's validation for every indie author

who's been building community one reader

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at a time when Tia Williams gets multiple

adaptation deals, that's proof that Black

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Romance can be commercially successful

without compromising its authenticity.

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This revolution in representation

has me thinking about my

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own journey with visibility.

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Starting over at 54 meant making

some big decisions about how I

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wanted to show up in the world.

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It meant deciding that my voice,

my story, my perspective, mattered

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enough to build a business around.

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Living in Puerto Vallarta taught me that

visibility isn't about being loud or

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performative, it's about being present.

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It's about showing up

authentically and consistently.

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It's about creating space for

the fullness of who you are.

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That's why I created something to

hold you in that transformation.

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Something to support you as you

step into your own visibility.

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The wellness Ritual bundle and the

skin ritual bundle two offerings

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from my heart and my healing.

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They're not just about products,

they're about presence.

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They're about creating daily rituals that

remind you that you're worth caring for,

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worth slowing down, for worth celebrating.

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The wellness Ritual bundle is

your invitation to slow down,

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reset your nervous system, and

reconnect with yourself through

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curated soft life rituals.

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Because storytelling starts with the

stories we tell ourselves, and those

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stories need space and silence to emerge.

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The skin ritual bundle is your

daily reminder that your body is

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worthy of care, not just when it's

producing, but when it's resting.

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Not just when it's performing,

but when it's simply being.

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Each product is chosen to help you

create moments of intentional self-care

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that feel like acts of self love.

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Because here's what I learned

during my time in Mexico.

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Ritual is the first way we reclaim

our time, our rhythm, and our worth.

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When you create consistent practices

of care, you are telling yourself and

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the world that you matter, that your

comfort matters, that your peace matters.

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These bundles are my love letter

to black women who are ready

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to be seen on their terms.

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You'll find the link in the show

notes or visit jane and bloom.com.

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There's a beautiful connection between

the visibility we're seeing in these

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book adaptations and the visibility

we need to create in our own lives.

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Every time one of our authors gets

their story adapted for screen, they're

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making it easier for the next author,

the next story, the next black woman

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who has something to say, but you don't

have to write a bestselling novel to

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contribute to this cultural shift.

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Your visibility matters too, the way

you show up in your relationships,

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your career, your community.

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That's all part of the larger narrative

of black women refusing to be invisible.

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When you choose yourself, when you

invest in your wellbeing, when you create

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beauty in your life, when you speak your

truth, you are adding to the collective

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story that says, black women deserve

to take up space to be celebrated,

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to be seen in our full complexity.

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This is why I love romance

novels so much and why I'm so

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excited about these adaptations.

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Romance at its core is about

people choosing to be seen.

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It's about vulnerability, about showing

up authentically, about believing

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you deserve love and happiness.

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The heroines in these novels that are

being adapted, they're not perfect.

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They're not playing small.

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They're messy and ambitious

and emotional and strong.

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They're everything we are when we give

ourselves permission to be fully human.

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And now, thanks to these adaptations,

the world gets to see what we've always

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known, that black women's love stories

are epic, complicated, beautiful,

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and worthy of the biggest stages.

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What excites me most about

this moment is that we're not

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just consuming culture anymore.

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We're creating it, controlling

it, and profiting from it.

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These authors aren't just writing

books, they're building empires.

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They're creating opportunities for

other black women in publishing,

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in entertainment, in media.

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When JL Seeger's Indie success

leads to a television deal that

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opens doors for other indie authors.

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When Tia Williams proves that

Black Romance can be commercially

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successful, that creates space for

more black romance adaptations.

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This is how culture shifts one story

at a time, one adaptation at a time.

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One black woman choosing visibility

at a time, starting over at 54,

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taught me that the personal is

always political for black women.

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When I chose to leave the corporate

world and build something with my

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story at the center, that wasn't just a

career change, it was a political act.

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When you choose to prioritize

your wellbeing, that's political.

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When you invest in products and

practices that make you feel beautiful

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and cared for, that's political.

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When you refuse to make

yourself smaller, to make others

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comfortable, that's political.

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The same energy that's driving these

book adaptations, this refusal to accept

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that our stories are niche or secondary.

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That's the energy I want you

to bring to your own life.

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So how do you start?

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How do you begin to step

into your own visibility?

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Start with self-care.

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That feels like self-love.

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Create rituals that remind you

daily that you're worth caring for.

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Invest in products, practices,

and experiences that make you feel

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beautiful, grounded, and present.

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Share your story even in small ways.

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You don't have to write a novel,

but you can share your perspective,

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your experiences, your wisdom.

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Whether that's through social media,

conversations with friends, or just

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the way you show up in the world,

support other black women's visibility.

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Buy the books, watch the adaptations,

share the content, amplify the voices.

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When we support each other's

visibility, we all rise.

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Take up space unapologetically, whether

that's in meetings, in relationships,

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in social settings, practice being

fully present and fully yourself

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without shrinking or performing.

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Here's what I want you to understand.

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Every time you choose visibility,

you make it easier for another

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black woman to do the same every

time you invest in your wellbeing.

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You are modeling that for someone else.

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Every time you share your story,

you are giving someone else

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permission to share theirs.

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This is how culture changes, not through

grand gestures, but through daily choices

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to show up authentically and fully.

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As I look at what's happening in Black

Romance adaptations, I see a future where

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our stories aren't just tolerated or

included for diversity points, they're

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celebrated because they're excellent.

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They're necessary because

they're universal.

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I see a future where black women

don't have to choose between being

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successful and being authentic.

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Between being visible and being safe

between being soft and being strong.

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And I see a future where starting

over at any age, 54, 34 74 is seen

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as courageous rather than desperate

as growth rather than failure.

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If this episode stirred something in you.

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If you've been feeling that

nudge to speak louder, to show up

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more fully, to stop hiding your

brilliance, let this be your sign.

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You don't need permission to start over.

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You don't need permission to be visible.

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You don't need permission

to take up space.

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You just need a soft place to begin.

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And maybe that's with a morning

ritual that makes you feel cared for.

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Maybe it's with skincare

that feels like self love.

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Maybe it's with saying yes to that

opportunity you've been scared to take.

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So write your story, live

your love, take up your space.

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The culture is watching, and we need you.

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We need your perspective, your

experience, your wisdom, your joy.

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We need you to be visible so

that the next generation of black

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women can see what's possible.

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As I wrap up today's episode, I

want to leave you with this thought.

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The relationship you have with

yourself sets the tone for how

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the world sees you and treats you

when you invest in your wellbeing.

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When you create beauty in your life,

when you choose visibility over

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invisibility, you're not just changing

your own life, you're contributing to

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a cultural shift that's long overdue.

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: 00:20:35

The same courage that these

authors showed when they decided

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their stories were worth telling.

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: 00:20:40

That's the courage I want you

to bring to your own life.

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: 00:20:43

The same persistence that turned

indie novels into television deals.

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: 00:20:48

That's the persistence I want you to

apply to your own dreams and goals.

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: 00:20:52

If you're ready to start creating those

daily rituals of self-love and visibility,

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: 00:20:56

check out the Wellness Ritual Bundle

and skin ritual bundle@janeandbloom.com.

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: 00:21:03

These aren't just products.

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: 00:21:05

Their invitations to show up for yourself

daily, to invest in your comfort and

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: 00:21:10

beauty, to create space for the fullness

of who you are and keep supporting

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: 00:21:15

Black romance authors and black romance

stories, whether they're indie or

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traditional, whether they're getting

adapted or still building their audience.

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: 00:21:24

Every book you buy, every review

you leave, every recommendation

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: 00:21:28

you share, it all matters.

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: 00:21:31

You've been listening to Culture Lit

where black women's stories aren't

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: 00:21:35

just celebrated, they're sacred.

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: 00:21:37

Thank you for being part of this

community, for supporting these authors,

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for choosing visibility in your own life.

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: 00:21:44

Until next time, be unapologetic,

be authentic, be bold, be you.

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The world needs your story.