We're FINALLY starting a bookclub! We're thrilled that the wonderful Ubax of Cheche bookshop in Nairobi will be leading it, and we can't wait to get started on our first read: We Do This 'Til We Free Us, by Mariame Kaba.

We'll be hosting our first get-together via Zoom on Sunday, April 11th at 1PM EST (10AM PST).  The discussion will last about an hour, but feel free to drop in or out! We'll all be on, and we'd love to see you! 

And now, for the details:

BOOKSHOP!

Wondering where to get your copy? We'll have each bookclub book available on our Bookshop, here! 

For those of you based in Nairobi, Cheche will be offering a 10% discount on all Zuri bookclub selections!

 

 

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING // "We Are American Soldiers" Virtual Screening

As some of you may know, the owners of 363 Bleecker are a wonderful family who took a chance on us and we've never looked back :) The patriarch of the family, Mr. KY Yee passed away last spring, but his legacy lives on. His granddaughter, Katie, made a documentary that is screening TONIGHT about his life and the larger story of Chinese American soldiers during WWII. Mr. Yee immigrated to the US as a child, served during WWII as a member of an all-Chinese American unit, and became a beloved figure in both the West Village and Chinatown in NYC. His story is an American story, and especially in light of the horrifying wave of hate crimes towards Asian Americans spreading across the country, it's an important reminder that the battles that he and his fellow Chinese American soldiers fought on American soil after serving on behalf of this country continue on. We can't recommend this film enough!

INSTA CORNER! WHO WE'RE FOLLOWING: @trevor_stuurman

Ever since we first saw one of Trevor Stuurman's beaded bicycles in the Maboneng neighborhood of Johannesburg, we've been in awe of this 28-year-old dynamo. A photographer and visual artist, Trevor incorporates his heritage into his work with an eye toward travel and fashion. Trust us--you'll love seeing the world through his eyes.  

*Portrait of Trevor Stuurman by Bisa Butler

 

 

WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // Ebo Taylor

This album is a lost treasure of Ghanaian highlife.  According to the music label, "for reasons that no-one (including Ebo) can now fully recall, the master tapes got shelved in a dusty backroom in Tabansi’s Onitsha HQ. Where they remained, undisturbed, unreleased, unplayed, for almost forty years.” 

 

 

WHAT WE'RE READING// We Do This 'Til We Free Us by Mariame Kaba

What if social transformation and liberation isn’t about waiting for someone else to come along and save us? What if ordinary people have the power to collectively free ourselves? In this timely collection of essays and interviews, Mariame Kaba reflects on the deep work of abolition and transformative political struggle.

We're thrilled to be able to finally offer our fabrics by the YARD! We LOVED the ideas you came up with for how to use these fabrics in our recent survey, including: multimedia artwork, backgrounds for video calls, bags, skirts, and our favorite write-in response, "What wouldn't I use them for?"

As you know, our production is based in Kenya and all the fabrics on offer are from our 100% Made in Kenya collection, which means that they're produced using 100% locally grown cotton and printed right here in Thika. They're light(ish) weight and unwaxed, so they're soft and ready for your next project! 

Here's how this will work:

1. Every 4-6 weeks, we'll list on our website the fabrics that are available for purchase by the yard. (Don't worry, we'll let you know here when they go online!) 

2. The fabrics will be available for preorder for 1 week.

3. Once the preorder window closes, we'll get cutting! 

4. We'll ship out your order 3-4 weeks after preorders close.

Some notes: we're still figuring out this system, so it is subject to change! For now, we don't expect to have the same fabrics every cycle, but that will depend on how this first round goes! Lastly, of course, these are final sale.

BY THE WAY: For those of you who are curious about the new prints you see here, we'll also be cutting these fabrics into dresses and shirts for you this month!

So, without further ado these fabrics are online now! We'll be closing the preorders on March 2nd, and you should receive your fabric by April 1!

*Artwork above by: Shadé Akanbi, Angela Muritu, and Joanne Kalute.  See individual products for more detailed info!

INSTA CORNER // WHO WE'RE FOLLOWING: @babatreebaskets

These gorgeous baskets from Ghana are truly next level. We especially love these Pakurigo Wave baskets, which are named after the two men who created this signature technique, Palash Singh and Master Weaver Mr John Akurigo, during a field trip to Ahmedabad, India in 2013.

 

 

WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // Eclipse by Lura

If you enjoy the musical stylings of Cesaria Evora as much as we do, we think you'll absolutely love this album! Born to Cape Verdean parents, Portuguese singer Lura has a voice that you'll fall head-over-heels for. Whether you're sitting by the fire or cooking up a storm, this album is HOT!

 

 

WHAT WE'RE READING // The City We Became

“People who say change is impossible are usually pretty happy with things just as they are.”

Originally developed from her short story "The City Born Great," this urban fantasy novel by N.K. Jemisin is set in modern day New York City, and imagines that the city itself has come alive, in the form of a rough and tumble street kid. Described as a love letter to the city, it's a book about standing up for each other, and it feels especially relevant right now.

 

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING // Marcia Chatelain: Creativity, Art and the History of (in)equality

We think you'll truly enjoy this short talk by one of our favorite historians and professors, author Marcia Chatelain. Not just because she's a hilarious and engaging speaker, or looks so good in that dress (!) but because it's a topic that touches us all. 

Our Zuri community is filled with so many incredible, talented writers that we realized that in addition to compiling this great work on our Reading List, we should make a Bookshop! We've got a wonderful selection of works from many of our Zuri community authors, as well as some of our favorite newsletter picks! We hope you'll enjoy it, and of course, if there's a book that you'd like us to consider including, you can always drop us a line at heyzuri@shopzuri.com.

Meet Carmen Rubin! She's an acclaimed author of picture books, interactive ebooks, apps, and animated children's programming. Her best-known work, Ashti Meets Birdman Al has lyrically warmed the hearts of many children and their families. For decades, she has used her voice to empower youth, promote literacy, and reinforce the importance of keeping music in elementary schools. 

 

 

We were so thrilled to learn that our dresses were the uniform of Aisha Saeed's recent book tours! Aisha is a New York Times bestselling author whose novel Written in the Stars was listed as a best book of 2015 by Bank Street Books and a 2016 YALSA Quick Pick For Reluctant Readers. She is the author of the middle grade novel Amal Unbound, the picture book Bilal Cooks Dal and the Wonder Woman Adventure series. Aisha is also a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, an organization advocating for greater representation of diverse characters in children's books.

 

Marie Myung-Ok Lee is an acclaimed Korean-American writer and author of the novels Finding My Voice and Somebody’s Daughter. Her stories and essays have been published in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Slate, Salon, Guernica, and The Guardian, among others. She was the first Fulbright Scholar to Korea in creative writing and has received many honors for her work. She's a founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop and was an Our Word Writer in Residence for the Columbia MFA program. She runs a reading series at Columbia and shared with us that at one reading 3 of the 4 writers were wearing Zuri! Incredible!

 

INSTA CORNER! WHO WE'RE FOLLOWING: @wellreadblackgirl

If you're looking for some fabulous reading recommendations focusing on the works of Black authors, and the Zuri newsletter alone is not getting the job done, we think you'll love Glory Edim's Instagram universe, which loops you in on all kinds of literary goodness.

 

 

 

WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // Snap Judgement Podcast

Glynn Washington hosts this weekly radio hour, which features dramatic tales, each told by super talented emerging storytellers. We think you'll especially enjoy his latest episode, "Birdzilla" about the biggest baddest bird in the wild, who is on the brink of death, and the couple that will do anything to bring her back home. ("A Canadian love story.")

SMALL BUSINESSES WE LOVE // Tackussanu Senegal

Harlem-based shop Tackussanu Senegal creates the most gorgeous handmade baskets, as well as other items for the home, all made by artisan groups in Senegal. From storage baskets to accent trays, Jasz and Cheikh have an amazing eye for color and we think you'll absolutely love their work! 

WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // Mariem Hassan

We're HUGE fans of Mariem Hassan, who was a singer and songwriter from Western Sahara.  A political voice for the Sahrawi people, her sound transitions seamlessly from desert blues to soulful ballads, and we know that you'll love her work as much as we do. 

It's sampling time! We've been working with several very talented textile designers to develop prints that we hope will bring joy, whimsy and color to your life.  Each one of these beauties will be part of our 100% Made in Kenya textile line, using cotton that is grown, spun, woven, and printed right here in Kenya. Shown below are designs by the fabulously talented Lulu Kitololo, Shadé Akanbi and Phathu Nembilwi. We can't wait for you to see the final product and hear the inspiration behind these gorgeous, wearable works of art! 

WHAT WE'RE READING// Lot by Bryan Washington

“Your eyes will show you what they want to, or whatever they think you should see.”

An insight into love in all of its forms, this is a collection of short stories written in a vibrant, conversational style has been compared to that of Junot Díaz. Set in Houston, these stories (many of which are interlinked and some of which are not) explore themes of bravery, adversity and heartbreak through the eyes of a young, gay BIPOC man.

 

 

INSTA CORNER! WHO WE'RE FOLLOWING: @quokkahub

On brand? Nope. Weirdly adorable? Yes. Devoted entirely to an Australian quokka named Daxon and the greater short-tailed wallaby community of Instagram, this may just be the last bastion of goodness and truth coursing through these hallowed interwebs. Also, it's practically Valentine's Day; let's indulge ourselves with a little extra cuteness, shan't we?

 

 

 

BUSINESSES WE LOVE // Bolé Road Textiles

Originally from Addis Ababa, Brooklyn-based designer Hana Getachew has a fabulous aesthetic that we think you'll really love!  Whether you're looking for a stand-out rug or an eye-catching cushion cover, her textiles will bring joy and happiness into your home. (I have her Bana Rugs beside my bed in Nairobi, and trust me--I'm a happier person because of them!)

WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // ZURI FEBRUARY PLAYLIST -- LOVE SONGS!

To our nearest and dearest (however far it may seem), we made you a playlist with a Valentine's theme! We hope you'll enjoy this group of love songs which we've been listening to all day long.  Share it, send it or save it for later, we hope that it'll make your day a bit greater:) 

INSTA CORNER! WHO WE'RE FOLLOWING: @floresparaosrefugiados

Admittedly, I have no idea what any of these posts say, but this floral designer from Brazil creates arrangements that are just so wildly beautiful it's worth a share.  Each day's post is like a flower delivery to your phone which, had it been sent with a card, might say something like "Eat your heart out, FTD!"

 

 

 

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WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // Scam Goddess with Laci Mosley

Do you LOVE true crime but just wish it had more of a comic twist? Do you enjoy cracking cases AND cracking up? Tune in to Laci Mosley's weekly podcast "Scam Goddess", which is 100% dedicated to fraud and all those who practice it. 

 

 

 

BUSINESSES WE LOVE // Micah's Mixx

Micah Harrigan is a 10 year old from Philadelphia who started a lemonade stand to earn money for college (he hopes to go to Morehouse), and managed to turn it into a fabulously successful business.  While he says that lemonade is his "back up plan", we have a feeling that this young tycoon will not need a plan B. While it may not be hot out right now, in this case, a little vitamin C goes a long way.

 

WHAT WE'RE LISTENING TO // Arise by Zara McFarlane

Lately, I've been loving British-Jamaican singer/songwriter Zara McFarlane's 2017 album "Arise". Blending influences of jazz, reggae and a hint of psychedelic rock through an exploration of the musical traditions of her African Caribbean heritage, this album has a smooth sound that we think you'll really enjoy!