Na'Ziyah Harris’s Tragedy, Keke Palmer & SZA’s Comedy Breakthrough, Black Women Unite Amid Wildfires
Plus: Georgia Black women push for policy change, Mississippi’s first Black woman state epidemiologist, Black Girl Vitamins tackles vitamin D deficiency, a project fights period poverty, and more.
A quick hello before we get into the news below…
It’s been a while, and I want to thank you for sticking with me. Balancing this newsletter with freelance journalism and new entrepreneurial pursuits required some rest and recalibration. (FYI—Before going on my sabbatical, I changed all paid subscribers to free subscribers.)
Since my last issue, so much has unfolded: VP Kamala Harris’s historic nomination as a Black and South Asian woman presidential candidate, Trump’s reelection and inauguration, a precarious ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, a U.S. TikTok ban, and wildfires ravaging Los Angeles—a city I now call home and where I’ve cultivated a beautiful community.
The parents of my friend Jonathan Lewis lost their place of worship Altadena Fountain of Life Church of the Nazarene, where they’ve served the community for over 30 years. Please considering supporting their GoFundMe to secure a temporary worship space and support those affected by the Eaton fire. Additional local fundraising efforts include Walk Good LA’s Black Displaced Families GoFundMe Directory and Ashley Taylor’s Amazon Wish List for essential hygiene, beauty, and hair goods for Black girls in Pasadena and Altadena.
In 2025, I resolve to make The Wakeful consistent—on my terms. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber [HERE] to support my work. Thank you for rocking with me!
Cheers,
Patrice
P.S. During my break, I published stories on Black women voters (NYT), natural hair in gaming (High Snobiety, branded), a Black woman cosmetic chemist’s career (Byrdie), Black women changing the face of pilates (ESSENCE), and more. I also started a YouTube channel, which has been an extremely humbling, but fun ~experiment~ in figuring out another storytelling style and medium, so feel free to subscribe here.
Wakeful Voices
Moving forward, here’s where we’ll share insights, feedback, or personal stories from Wakeful subscribers. Want to be featured? Hit “Reply” and tell us what The Wakeful means to you or leave a comment below.
The Rundown
The LA Wildfires, Mayor Karen Bass, and Octavia Butler’s Warnings
The wildfires in Los Angeles have destroyed over 40,000 acres, displacing families and devastating Altadena, a historically Black community. Women in Altadena shared stories of grief and resilience, leaning on one another to rebuild after losing homes, schools, and churches.
Celebrities, politicians, and others criticized Mayor Karen Bass for her response to the fires, while some Black women in across various industries defended her, citing double standards Black women leaders face in times of crisis.
The crisis feels eerily similar to Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower. Its young Black protagonist Lauren witnesses her California neighborhood consumed by wildfires, a vision of climate change and inequality that echoes today. As Brooke Obie writes in her razor-sharp newsletter, “Let’s build and rely on community, and shape another possible world.”
Reproductive Rights, Chronic Disparities, and Breaking Free from Burdens
Another Trump administration forces many Black women to confront difficult questions about their futures. With maternal mortality rates disproportionately high for Black women, some have chosen to reconsider motherhood altogether, Taylor Adigun reports.
It’s not just fear. Trump-era policies, as outlined by Sughnen Yongo, threaten progress in reproductive rights, healthcare access, workplace equity, and civil rights. A new report reveals that young Black women face the starkest breast cancer disparities, with a 41% higher death rate despite fewer diagnoses. These inequities, driven by unequal access to detection and care, could worsen under policies that erode healthcare protections. In response, Black women are turning frustration into advocacy, fighting for systemic change while also shedding the burdens of being expected to save everyone else.
For decades, society has cast Black women as saviors, democracy’s backbone and the unsung heroes of movements. But as NPR calls it, “savior syndrome” exacts a steep cost. (I made a similar case in a 2024 NYT opinion essay.) Many, like Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris, now prioritize personal well-being over carrying the world. Leslie Gray Streeter writes about how Black women—Michelle Obama included—are choosing to say, “Not today.”
Patrice’s Pick
Na’Ziyah Harris and the Neglected Lives of Black Girls and Women
On January 9, 2024, 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris disappeared after stepping off her school bus in Detroit. But I only learned about her story last Friday, when Jarvis Butts, the 42-year-old charged with her murder, pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege Butts groomed the young girl (the niece of his children’s mother), impregnated her, and killed her to hide his abuse. Her body has not been found.
Delays defined Harris’s case. Although her family reported her missing immediately, the school district waited a month to involve police, and it took six more months for law enforcement to request a warrant. Last week, one year after her disappearance, a judge ruled there was enough evidence to send Butts to trial, describing his actions as “monstrous.”
As Kenyatta Victoria underscores in her newsletter Chronically Online, Harris’s story highlights the adultification of Black girls—the false perception that they are older, less innocent, and undeserving of protection. This bias fuels systemic neglect. Last week, police in Syracuse handcuffed an 11-year-old Black girl, reportedly mistaking her for a car theft suspect. A viral video shows her crying on a snowy sidewalk, stripped of her childhood in real time. Similarly, in Austin, police reopened the case of a 14-year-old Black girl’s death initially ruled an accident after new evidence suggested a vehicle was involved.
This systemic neglect and bias follows Black girls into adulthood. In the U.K., 48-year-old Fiona Holm, an autistic Black woman, disappeared in 2023. Her ex-boyfriend was convicted of her murder in 2024, as well as the murder of Naomi Hunte, 41, also a Black woman with a mental health condition. Yet Holm’s body remains missing, leaving her family without closure, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff reports. These cases echo the same patterns: delays in action, inadequate investigations, and the consistent devaluation of Black women’s lives.
Cultural Reset
Suzi Analogue transforms the narrative of electronic music with her latest project, celebrating the Black women who shaped the genre. Through striking visuals and soundscapes, she demands the recognition they deserve.
In Hollywood, Keke Palmer takes control of her story. Reflecting on the limited opportunities she faced as the “Black girl on the network” compared to Disney peers like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, Palmer moves the needle forward with Just One of Them Days. Her box-office buddy comedy with SZA has sparked calls for more films that highlight the humor, depth, and complexity of Black women’s friendships. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, another actor dominating headlines, spoke with Morgan Jerkins about her gripping performance in The Nickel Boys.
These stories trace back to trailblazers like Diahann Carroll. A new excerpt from A More Perfect Party uncovers her collaboration with Shirley Chisholm, a meeting of Hollywood and politics that redefined leadership and left a lasting imprint on American history.
In the U.K., a writer confronts the financial and emotional burden of beauty standards imposed on Black women, rejecting the grind of monthly upkeep to redefine self-care. Meanwhile, Essence explores the lives of Black women who’ve moved abroad, sharing stories of freedom, fulfillment, and reinvention far from home. And Wendy Williams’s fight against her controversial guardianship raises urgent questions about autonomy and justice. As the public watches her case unfold, many wonder if it will ignite a broader #FreeWendy movement.
POWER MOVES
In recent interviews, second-term congresswoman and Democratic powerhouse Jasmine Crockett opens up about her plans to challenge the Trump administration and how she stays grounded amidst the chaos, while Shalanda Young, the first Black woman to run the U.S. budget, reflects on the end of her groundbreaking tenure and how she set a new standard for inclusive policymaking and fiscal decisions. As for local government, South Jersey’s Nicole Roberts becomes Pennsauken Township’s first Black woman mayor, while former Pittsburgh mayor Shanelle Scales-Preston takes her seat as the first Black woman on Contra Costa County’s Board of Supervisors. Over in Georgia, Lorraine Cochran-Johnson became the first Black woman to hold the office of DeKalb County’s Chief Executive Officer.
In health, Dr. Renia Dotson breaks barriers as Mississippi’s first Black woman state epidemiologist and Black Girl Vitamins launches an initiative to combat vitamin D deficiencies among Black women. And in honor of Black History Month, J.Dow Fitness and Jolie Noire—Black women-owned brands centering physical health and mental wellness—now shine on Target shelves.
Under the Radar
On January 16, More than 200 Black women leaders recently converged at the Georgia State Capitol to unveil the Georgia Black Women’s Agenda. This powerful report calls out the systemic issues Black families face, demanding action from policymakers and amplifying the collective voice of Black women in the state.
Michigan State University professor of history Dr. LaShawn D. Harris is set to release Tell Her Story: Eleanor Bumpers, Police Violence & The Crime That Galvanized New York City, shedding light on the life of Eleanor Bumpers, a Black woman killed by police in 1984. Harris moves beyond the public activism sparked by Eleanor’s death, focusing instead on the woman herself, her life before the tragedy and the profound impact her killing had on her family.
In North Philadelphia, the Pan-African Sisterhood Health Initiative (P.A.S.H.I.) is making real, tangible change. Every week, a group of Black women come together to sew reusable, washable period pads for girls in Africa and the Caribbean.
Save the Dates
Pitch Your Stories to The Emancipator
The Emancipator is accepting pitches for their March theme: Femininity and the Revolutionary Power of Humor. Learn moreJoin the Free Black Women’s Library Reading Challenge
If you’re ready to tackle your reading list in 2025, the Free Black Women’s Library Reading Challenge invites you to read 24 books by Black women and Black non-binary writers by December 31, 2025. Sign upCelebrate Black Womanhood through Art in Brooklyn
Running from February 1 to March 8, Tanya Weddemire Gallery’s I Got a Story to Tell features work by Blu Murphy, Brittney S. Price, Kaylyn Webster, and Lex Marie. Learn more
Glad you're back. Your coverage is searing and much-needed.