Ijeoma Oluo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ijeoma Oluo
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| Born | 1980 (age 44–45) Denton, Texas, US
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| Other names | Ijeoma Jacobson |
| Education | BA political science (2007) |
| Alma mater | Western Washington University |
| Occupation | Writer |
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Notable work
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So You Want to Talk About Race |
| Spouse(s) | Gabriel Teodros |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Ahamefule J. Oluo (brother) Lindy West (sister in-law) |
Ijeoma Oluo (born in 1980) is an American writer. She is famous for her book So You Want to Talk About Race. She has also written for many well-known publications. These include The Guardian, Jezebel, and The Stranger.
Ijeoma Oluo was born in Denton, Texas. She lives in Seattle, Washington. In 2015, she was named one of Seattle's most important people. In 2018, she was listed as one of the 50 most influential women in Seattle. Her writing often talks about important topics. These include racism, unfair treatment of Black women, and social justice. She also writes about Black Lives Matter, money, and being a parent.
She became well-known for articles that discussed race. She also wrote about how women's voices are sometimes ignored. One famous article was her April 2017 interview with Rachel Dolezal. This interview was published in The Stranger.
Contents
Becoming a Writer
Starting Her Career
Ijeoma Oluo first worked in technology and digital marketing. She started writing more seriously in her mid-30s. This was after Trayvon Martin died in 2012. He was the same age as her son at the time.
She worried about her son and younger brother. So, she began sharing her thoughts on a blog. This blog used to be about food. She hoped sharing personal stories would help people in her community understand. She wanted them to get involved in important issues.
Her Work in Journalism
Ijeoma Oluo wrote columns and articles for The Guardian and The Stranger. This was from 2015 to 2017. She also wrote for Jezebel and Medium. She helped start a publication called The Establishment. She was also a main editor there.
Her writing covers many topics. These include unfair treatment of Black women and intersectionality. She also writes about mean messages online and the Black Lives Matter movement. Other topics are race, money, parenting, and feminism.
She is known for talking about race. She also highlights how Black women's voices are often overlooked. Her interview with Rachel Dolezal in 2017 is a good example.
Oluo stopped writing for The Stranger in July 2017. She disagreed with an article they published. She felt it was not fair or accurate about a sensitive topic. She believes in honest talks about difficult truths. She wrote that being against racism means fighting it in yourself too.
Her Books
So You Want to Talk About Race
Her book So You Want to Talk about Race came out on January 16, 2018. The New York Times said the book "takes on the thorniest questions surrounding race." These questions include police brutality and using certain words.
Oluo's agent suggested she write a guide. It would help people talk about the topics she wrote about. She was not sure at first. She felt she already spent a lot of time talking about race. But many people reached out with topics. She decided a book might help her answer common questions. She hoped a book would reach people differently than online work.
Bustle listed So You Want to Talk about Race as a top debut book by women. They praised Oluo's "no holds barred writing style." Harper's Bazaar also named it one of the best new books of 2018. They called it a clear guide to talking about race in America.
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America
Her book Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America was published on December 1, 2020. This book looks at how white male power affects politics and daily life. It was on recommended reading lists from Time and The Washington Post.
Other Projects
Ijeoma Oluo has also worked as a speaker and storyteller. She has also performed as a stand-up comedian. She was in a 2016 short film called Oh, I Get It. This film was about her experiences as a queer stand-up comedian.
Oluo has a new book coming out called Be a Revolution. It will be published by HarperCollins.
Awards and Recognition
Seattle Met named Oluo one of the 50 most influential women in Seattle in 2018. Seattle Magazine named her one of the most influential people in Seattle in 2015. They praised her "sharp wit, great humor and a good amount of passion." They also called her "one of Seattle's strongest voices for social justice." Bustle included Oluo among "13 Authors to Watch in 2018."
Personal Life
Ijeoma Oluo was born in Denton, Texas, in 1980. Her father is from Nigeria. Her mother is white and from Kansas. Oluo's younger brother is jazz musician Ahamefule J. Oluo. He is married to writer Lindy West.
In 2022, she married the hip-hop artist Gabriel Teodros.
She finished Lynnwood High School in 1999. She later graduated from Western Washington University in 2007. She earned a degree in political science.
She is an atheist and identifies as queer.
See also
In Spanish: Ijeoma Oluo para niños
- Black feminism
- Black Twitter
- Say Her Name
- Womanism
