EDITOR //
FROM THE
Happy Birthday, Feminessay!
July 5th marks the day when the Feminessay online platform officially launched. I think back to this time a year ago, and I am still in awe of how much Feminessay has grown since then. Take a look: 398 Instagram followers, 56 individual writers, 60 published stories, and countless readers have all supported, interacted with, and shared Feminessay with the world. We have done so much to build and contribute to this collection- this digital catalog- of our stories. And now, with a monthly newsletter, writing prompts, and more upcoming treats, Feminessay is quickly growing before my eyes.
I remember having initial doubts about the success of this community. I didn’t have any “big” names behind it (you’re all superstars in my eyes). I was starting from scratch with no real model of exactly what I was trying to create, and it was difficult to understand how to build this on my own. Thankfully, I had the help of talented friends, knowledgeable and experienced businesspeople, and men and women in my life who wanted to see Feminessay succeed and I’m grateful for their support. Their time, talent, patience, conversations, prayers, and encouragement have all contributed to making Feminessay possible in major ways.
Today, as we continue to meet the needs of the Feminessay community, it is clear that this is a unique responsibility. This is no longer simply a space where Black women can share their stories with a worldwide audience. Feminessay has grown into a community where women read for inspiration, encouragement, and to see stories similar to and completely different from their own. Feminessay is a platform that has opened doors for women who did not know of spaces where they could share their writing the way that they see fit. We continue to focus on centering Black women’s stories as they are, and in a world that privileges writing that looks and sounds a certain way, that is part of the unique joy of sharing writing in this space.
A year after Feminessay’s launch, I still smile when the name comes up in conversation because it always surprises me. Someone always mentions a piece that they’ve read, a story that they are drafting, or suggests something that we should do, and I hear you. While Feminessay is still in its infancy, I can hardly put into words how proud I am of the growth that has happened here, but we’re not done yet! I am excited for all that we have been planning for this second year of growth, and I can’t wait for you all to see what’s next. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you have done to support Feminessay so far as a writer, reader, or sharer of the Feminessay love, and stay tuned because there is much, much more to come!
— Tiye Naeemah Cort,
Founder + Global Editor-in-Chief
Happy Birthday, Feminessay!
July 5th marks the day when the Feminessay online platform officially launched. I think back to this time a year ago, and I am still in awe of how much Feminessay has grown since then. Take a look: 398 Instagram followers, 56 individual writers, 60 published stories, and countless readers have all supported, interacted with, and shared Feminessay with the world. We have done so much to build and contribute to this collection- this digital catalog- of our stories. And now, with a monthly newsletter, writing prompts, and more upcoming treats, Feminessay is quickly growing before my eyes.
I remember having initial doubts about the success of this community. I didn’t have any “big” names behind it (you’re all superstars in my eyes). I was starting from scratch with no real model of exactly what I was trying to create, and it was difficult to understand how to build this on my own. Thankfully, I had the help of talented friends, knowledgeable and experienced businesspeople, and men and women in my life who wanted to see Feminessay succeed and I’m grateful for their support. Their time, talent, patience, conversations, prayers, and encouragement have all contributed to making Feminessay possible in major ways.
Today, as we continue to meet the needs of the Feminessay community, it is clear that this is a unique responsibility. This is no longer simply a space where Black women can share their stories with a worldwide audience. Feminessay has grown into a community where women read for inspiration, encouragement, and to see stories similar to and completely different from their own. Feminessay is a platform that has opened doors for women who did not know of spaces where they could share their writing the way that they see fit. We continue to focus on centering Black women’s stories as they are, and in a world that privileges writing that looks and sounds a certain way, that is part of the unique joy of sharing writing in this space.
A year after Feminessay’s launch, I still smile when the name comes up in conversation because it always surprises me. Someone always mentions a piece that they’ve read, a story that they are drafting, or suggests something that we should do, and I hear you. While Feminessay is still in its infancy, I can hardly put into words how proud I am of the growth that has happened here, but we’re not done yet! I am excited for all that we have been planning for this second year of growth, and I can’t wait for you all to see what’s next. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you have done to support Feminessay so far as a writer, reader, or sharer of the Feminessay love, and stay tuned because there is much, much more to come!
— Tiye Naeemah Cort,
Founder + Global Editor-in-Chief