Nadia Owusu

Instructor & Writer
Profile Photo

NADIA OWUSU is a Ghanaian and Armenian-American writer and urbanist. Her first book, Aftershocks, topped many best book of the year lists, including  Vulture, TIME, Esquire, and the BBC. It was a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice.

Nadia is the recipient of a 2019 Whiting Award. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in The New York Times,  The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Bon Appétit, Travel + Leisure, and others.

She is Director of Storytelling at Frontline Solutions, a Black-owned consulting firm working with social change organizations.  She  lives in Brooklyn.

Classes

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Stories

Cover Photo: A photo of a Black woman working at a desk with books, pens, and a laptop, in deep thought
No One Should Have to Ignore Their Grief, Yet It’s Long Been Expected of People of Color

For our communities, those missing and murdered, caged and dying, are not distant examples, invisible, or forgotten. They are our family and friends.

May 18, 2020
Cover Photo: illustration of a black woman professor leading a classroom discussion
Women of Color in Academia Often Work Harder for Less Respect

The racist assumption that women of color are hired as faculty because of our identities rather than our credentials can have a serious impact on our careers.

Feb 26, 2020
Cover Photo: On the left hand side a panel of faceless white figures sits at a desk while on the right side a black woman stares towards them
Hiring a Chief Diversity Officer Won’t Fix Your Racist Company Culture

Racial equity must be a top priority for everyone, incorporated into how a company hires, makes decisions, and approaches all of its objectives.

Jan 28, 2020
Cover Photo: photograph of a young woman working behind the counter at a restaurant
“Just a Waitress”: On Abuse Faced by Women of Color in the Restaurant Industry

Abuse and harassment within the restaurant industry is very much intertwined with other forms of racial and economic oppression and violence.

Dec 04, 2019
Cover Photo: Ablade Glover, Busy Bodies, 2014. Oil on canvas, 127 x 101 cm.
The Wailing

“There is no greater insult than to have your death ignored.”

May 11, 2016