Tracy Clayton facts for kids

Tracy Clayton, born on April 29, 1982, is an American writer and podcaster. She is known for her funny and insightful work. Magazines like Fast Company and Ebony have praised her writing. She co-hosted the popular BuzzFeed podcast Another Round. Tracy also hosts the Netflix podcast Strong Black Legends. On this show, she talks with African American people who are famous in the entertainment world. She also co-hosts Back Issue with Josh Gwynn, a podcast that looks back at important moments in pop culture.

Early Life

Tracy Clayton grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She went to Transylvania University in Lexington. There, she earned her bachelor's degree.

Career Highlights

Tracy Clayton has written for many different publications. These include Madame Noire, HuffPost, and The Root. From 2014 to 2018, she worked full-time at BuzzFeed. She also created a popular Tumblr page called "Little Known Black History Facts." This page was even featured on her podcast, Another Round.

From 2016 to 2017, Tracy was a special expert at Wake Forest University. She was the Ida B. Wells Media Expert-in-Residence.

Another Round Podcast

Tracy Clayton and her co-worker Heben Nigatu started Another Round on March 25, 2015. BuzzFeed produced this podcast. The show quickly became very popular and received great reviews. Critics said Tracy and Heben were "passionate and sharp" in their discussions.

Another Round was named one of the "Best of 2015" podcasts by iTunes, Slate, and The Atlantic. People praised Tracy for being one of the smartest voices in podcasting. Elle magazine noted that Tracy and Heben mixed humor, politics, and honest observations. In one famous interview, Tracy asked then-Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton about a crime bill from the past. This showed how important their discussions were. The Guardian newspaper called their work "witty, irreverent, intelligent."

On September 19, 2018, Tracy announced that BuzzFeed had laid her off. Many other people who worked on BuzzFeed's original podcasts also lost their jobs.

Strong Black Legends

On February 11, 2019, Netflix launched a new podcast called Strong Black Legends. Tracy Clayton was chosen to be the host. The podcast features interviews with famous Black actors and creators from Hollywood. The first episode came out on February 12, 2019, with Lynn Whitfield as the guest.

Strong Black Legends quickly became very successful. It reached number one on Apple's TV Film & Podcast chart. In 2021, it won a Webby award for Podcasts in the Television & Film category.

Back Issue and Other Podcasts

Tracy Clayton also hosted an interview podcast called Going Through It. This show launched in July 2020 and featured 14 important Black women.

In August 2020, the podcast Back Issue started. Tracy Clayton and Josh Gwynn host this show together. Back Issue is produced by Pineapple Street Studios. It explores how past moments in pop culture have shaped our world today. Tracy and Josh had worked together before on the Netflix podcast, Strong Black Legends. In 2023, Back Issue won the award for Best Culture Podcast at the Black Podcasting Awards.

Awards and Recognition

Tracy Clayton has received several awards for her work:

• Fast Company named her one of the "Most Creative People" in 2016.
• The Root included her in "The Root 100" list in 2016.
• Ebony magazine recognized her in their Power 100 list as a "Disruptor" in 2017.

Personal Life

Tracy Clayton lives in New York.