“I write for the future,” says poet and author Shayla Lawson, whose new essay collection, "This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope,” reflects on the impact Black women have had on pop culture and how their existence is largely taken for granted in the moment. Lawson also talks to Salon’s D. Watkins about the weight of the term Black Girl Magic and celebrating the diversity that exists within Blackness. Watch the episode above for a candid conversation about race and to hear more about Lawson’s writing.




“There's always a way that we need to achieve at being better at being Black people,” Lawson said. “I love the fact that we're taking that back and we're saying we are doing the fine a*s job of being the Black people that we are.”




Photo Credit: Kareem Black