VIDEO: The Dynamic Farai Chideya

By: NewNaturalista

Farai Chideya

Farai Chideya. If you don’t know who she is, let me tell you. Ms. Chideya is one of the most dynamic voices of our time. Before there was even a name for it, she was a multimedia journalist. In 1995, when most of us were just learning how to use the internet, she developed a blog called popandpolitics.com – a site that continues to give us a fresh perspective on American culture.

Most recently, Chideya published her first novel “Kiss the Sky,” about a black female rock musician living in New York City.

I first took notice of Chideya when she worked as a correspondent for ABC News. That was almost a decade ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.  I was a newbie producer watching the evening news, and there she was looking back at me, the closest thing to my reflection I’d ever seen on network television. She was wearing a blue button down shirt with braids hanging past her shoulders. Her skin was brown like me and she was about my size. My limitations were slowly chipped away at the site of her.

More than a decade later, Chideya continues to inspire me. We sat down for a Skype interview this week to discuss her novel “Kiss The Sky,” (released this month on paperback.) We also discussed her dynamic career, her struggles with being a black woman in the media – and the journey towards self acceptance.

Chideya will soon launch a new syndicated radio show, carrying on the name and theme of Pop and Politics. For more on the launch go to: faraichideya.com