Kenrya Rankin is an award-winning author, journalist, editorial consultant, speaker and on-air talent.
Her insight has been tapped by leading outlets, including The New York Times, The Huffington Post and ThinkProgress. From books to news analysis to breastfeeding primers, she creates dynamic content that amplifies the lived experiences, advocacy and work of people of color and shifts the narrative around who deserves liberation, justice and dignity in America.
Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Kenrya learned early how White supremacy and its attendant -isms impact the lives of those pushed to the margins, including people of color, women and femmes, folks living with disabilities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
She is most drawn to work that centers POC and doesn’t require begging for their humanity, which was the driving force during her tenure as senior editorial director at Colorlines.
As a journalist and editor, her work has appeared in dozens of national publications—including the New York Times, Fast Company, Ebony and Glamour — and has been translated into 21 languages.
She writes about everything from literature to technology, but her heart lies with racial justice, identity and parenting. So it’s fitting that she is a birth and postpartum doula and sits on the board of Parent Teacher Home Visits.
Kenrya’s advocacy and projects have been covered by several outlets, including Essence, Good Morning Washington, The Tavis Smiley Show, Ebony, The Root, Clutch, Red Tricycle, NewsOne Now and BET.com.
She has provided speeches and lectures, run workshops, and sat on and moderated panels for several organizations at venues including Howard University, American University, Barnard College, George
Washington University and the National Press Club.
A 20-year veteran in the editorial space, she has run a successful consultancy—Luminous Prose—for a decade. She is also principal at Perfectly Said Studio, research editor at Mozilla Foundation, contributing books editor at Essence magazine, executive producer and co-host of The Turn On podcast and an Alfred Knobler Fellow at Type Media Center. Kenrya previously served on staff at Reader’s Digest, Latina and Uptown Magazine, as a contributing editor at ShopSmart, senior advisor at Megaphone Strategies, editor and producer at Gyrate Media, and editor at Bella Books.
She has published five books, including How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance and Anti-Racism: Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas. Her next project, to be published by Bold Type Books, explores the impact of misogynoir on Black women’s health.
Kenrya earned her undergraduate degree in journalism from Howard University and her master’s degree in publishing from New York University. She currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her amazing partner and brilliant artist daughter. You can find her at Kenrya.com and she is @Kenrya on Twitter and Instagram.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Résumé | Headshots | Book Covers | Video Appearances | Press Releases | Anti-Racism Reading Group Guide | Anti-Racism Educator Guide
PRESS
Kenrya provides expert analysis on race, media, parenting and identity.
Email contact [at] kenrya [dot] com for bookings.
SELECTED MEDIA COVERAGE + APPEARANCE REPLAYS
Do the Work!: An Evening with W. Kamau Bell, Kate Schatz, Kenrya Rankin and Dian Holton | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library | August 2022
Dialogues and Debates: Online Privacy Post Roe v. Wade | Mozilla Foundation | July 2022
The 18 Best Motivational Podcasts That Could Change Your Life | Mashable | June 2021
If Erotic Literature Is Your Ministry, The Turn On Is a Blessing You Shouldn’t Be Without | The Root | April 2021
Howard University Celebrates Bison Authors for Bison Book Day | Howard University | March 2021
10 Super Sexy Podcasts To Listen To In Private | Etalk | February 2021
The MLK Quotes We Live By | Keys Soulcare | January 2021
“This Is Not a Fight That Is Over”: The Root Presents: It’s Lit! Has a Word About Anti-Racism With Kenrya Rankin | The Root Presents It’s Lit | January 2021
Becoming Actively Anti-Racist. An Interview With Kenrya Rankin. | Lindsey Elmore Show | January 2021
Erotic Podcasts We Love | The Woolfer | January 2021
Book Chat: Indie Authors Live! | Yeah Write With Taiia Smart Young | December 2020
Why Are Black Women More Likely to Suffer Hypertension? Researchers Point to Discrimination | Health | November 2020
New Book Highlights 100+ Radical Responses to Racism | Colorlines | November 2020
How We Fight White Supremacy With Kenrya Rankin | The Neighborhood Project Daily | November 2020
5 Ways to Put Anti-Racism Into Practice | Keys Soulcare | November 2020
The Turn On Live Show! | The Turn On | November 2020
No Justice, No Peace | Portland Book Festival | November 2020
Anti-Racism Book With Quotes and Pictures | KATU Afternoon Live | November 2020
Anti-Racism Author Kenrya Rankin | KBOO News In Depth | November 2020
Kenrya Rankin In Conversation With Mattice Haynes | Charis Books + Auburn Avenue Research Library | October 2020
Say Her Name: The Untold Story of Breonna Taylor | BET | October 2020
Here Are Some Great Virtual Book Events Happening This Week: Oct. 19-25 | Buzzfeed | October 2020
Virtual Bookish Events for October 19-25, 2020 | Virtual Author & Writer Events | October 2020
17 Excellent Short Stories By Black Authors | Book Riot | October 2020
Kenrya Rankin Discusses Words of Change at MahoganyBooks | MahoganyBooks | October 2020
Kenrya Rankin ’07 | New York University Alumni Conversations | October 2020
See My Baby’s Color: How to Clap Back to Folks Who Claim They Don’t “See” Race | Ruby Rae Society | September 2020
IU Libraries Expands Titles On Race, Ethnicity, Justice | Indiana University | September 2020
Kenrya Rankin On If Black People Can Be Racist | Clay Cane Show | September 2020
The Best Sex, Erotica, Dating and Relationship Podcasts | Mashable | September 2020
15 Sex Podcasts to Listen to Right Now | Harper’s Bazaar | September 2020
I’ll Have What She’s Hearing: Why Women Are Turning On To Erotic Podcasts | The Times | August 2020
Kenrya Rankin Talks Anti-Racism: Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas + The Turn On Podcast | HU Movemakers Podcast | August 2020
Anti-Racism: Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas by Kenrya Rankin | The Mantle | August 2020
Interview With Kenrya Rankin | Pemberley Pages | August 2020
Sasquatch Picks: Five Books for Right Now | Sasquatch Books | August 2020
Review: Anti-Racism Words of Change by Kenrya Rankin | Phoebe’s Randoms | August 2020
19 Best Erotic Podcasts About Sex | Oprah Daily | July 2020
How to Be a Revolutionary Writer | My American Meltingpot | July 2020
10 Must-Hear Black Women Hosted Podcasts Right Now | Essence | July 2020
#Colorlines Reads: 33 Books for Summer 2020 | Colorlines | July 2020
Kenrya Rankin x Led By Love | Led By Love (Restorative Juvenile Justice) | July 2020
Kenrya Rankin Talks Anti-Racism, Activism and Raising Black Girls | Erica Kane’s #Author Series | July 2020
July 2020 Reads for the Rest of Us | Ms. Magazine | July 2020
Romance Podcasts | Romance MFA | June 2020
One Recommendation: July 2020 | Newcity Lit | June 2020
Sasquatch Books Launches New YA Imprint with “Anti-Racism” Title | Publishers Weekly | June 2020
Episode 11: Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin | The Current | June 2020
Books about Race, Power and the Black Experience, Chosen by Four Black Boston Authors | Boston Magazine | June 2020
A Message for This Moment on How We Fight White Supremacy | My American Melting Pot | June 2020
Episode 05: Kenrya Rankin, Fighting White Supremacy, and Black Romance Literature | Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast | March 2020
TueNight 10: Kenrya Rankin | TueNight | December 2019
Akiba and Kenrya—How We Fight White Supremacy | Touré Show | August 2019
19 Books About White Supremacy and How to Combat It | Bustle | August 2019
03: Resisting White Supremacy Right Where You Are (Kenrya Rankin) | Conscious + Aligned | August 2019
52: Shifting Mindsets: Entrepreneurial Education and the Battle Against White Supremacy w/ Kenrya Rankin | Human Restoration Project | July 2019
15 Summer Reads By Black Authors | Black Enterprise | July 2019
The Short Stacks 15: Akiba Solomon & Kenrya Rankin//How We Fight White Supremacy | The Stacks | June 2019
How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance | More Talk Radio | July 2019
How We Fight White Supremacy | C-Span’s Book TV | April 2019
Redefining Black Protest | KERA/NPR’s Think | April 2019
Fighting White Supremacy With a Celebration of Blackness | WNYC | April 2019
How Do YOU Fight White Supremacy? | Colorlines | April 2019
10 Books by Writers of Color That Embrace Self-Love, Resilience and Authenticity | Colorlines | April 2019
How We Fight White Supremacy Honors the Many Ways Black Folks Resist | Black Youth Project | March 2019
How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance | Publishers Weekly | March 2019
A Word: How We Fight White Supremacy Reminds Us That ‘We’ Have the Power | The Root | March 2019
EXCERPT: Kenrya Rankin and Akiba Solomon Tackle White Supremacy in New Book | Colorlines | March 2019
March 2019 Reads for the Rest of Us | Ms. Magazine | March 2019
On the Promise of Black Resistance, All Day, Every Day | This is Hell! | March 2019
How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance | Library Journal | March 2019
How We Fight White Supremacy | Kirkus Reviews | January 2019
Book Deals: Week of November 6, 2017 | Publishers Weekly | November 2017
Pre-2017 Media Coverage: Access past press clips and appearances here.