Today we’d like to introduce you to Faitth Brooks.
Hi Faitth, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey started when I was young. I had a bold personality. I was a leader, and I spoke up when others shied away from it. When I was eight, I sold my handwritten “newspapers” in front of the Kroger in Grand Prairie, TX. I always felt like I had something to say, and I usually didn’t wait for someone to listen or validate my feelings. I knew what I wanted and went after it.
That same tenacity and boldness came with me as I got older, but the opinions of others made me second-guess myself more than I did as a child who threw inhibition to the wind.
In my twenties, I began leading racially diverse groups where we discussed race and racism. The goal was to break down the barriers and assumptions we carry about one another. I loved leading those groups and watching people come away with a clearer understanding of racism and the ways systemic racism is still at play today. That work led to my online writing and advocacy, which eventually led to two books: The Anti-Racism Journal and Remember Me Now: A Journey Back to Myself and a Love Letter to Black Women.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Between many phases of life and my career, I got married in my early 30s. When we became pregnant with our first child, we had a miscarriage right before Remember Me Now released, and it broke me. In many ways, I haven’t been the same since. I spent the next few years less focused on writing and advocacy, thrown instead into the world of infertility and Black maternal health. It led to surgeries, failed fertility treatments, depression, and anxiety. Those were the silent years, as I like to call them—years when my desires felt far from me, and my hope was lost.
In the midst of my pain, I found a love for yoga; it grounds me. I wouldn’t be able to manage my stress and find my center without my practice. It is one of the best things for my mental and emotional health. I am so passionate about it.
Today, one year after a major surgery, we have our son. My husband and I have been thrilled to be parents. Now I’m learning how to fully embody my love for writing, advocacy, motherhood, and my career. I’m on the journey of figuring it all out, one day at a time.
I learned that pain doesn’t always last; there is light on the other side of hardship.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
There are so many parts to who I am. I’m a creative, writer, a podcaster, and a speaker. I have my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work, plus a certificate in women’s entrepreneurship from Cornell, and I’m an experienced nonprofit professional. I’ve served as Director of Programs and Innovation at Be the Bridge, Director of Women’s Empowerment and Communication at Legacy Collective, and Community Director at Preemptive Love Coalition.
I’m mostly known for being a writer and activist. My books are what I’m proudest of professionally, The Anti-Racism Journal and Remember Me Now: A Journey Back to Myself and a Love Letter to Black Women. Writing is an art, and it’s hard work. Writing a book is no joke. It takes quiet, space, and time to think. Publishing two books into the world is my biggest professional accomplishment.
I also currently co-host the 1st Generation Suburbs podcast, which grew out of the same themes I discussed in Remember Me Now: what it means to be the first generation raised in the suburbs. I previously co-hosted the Melanated Faith podcast.
What sets me apart is that I do my best to show up as my full self. My mom used to say, “There is only one Faitth with two t’s; no one can be you.” My goal is to show up as I am, and sometimes that means I am writing about policies, talking about my favorite baby items, calling out racism, or talking about the dinner I made. There is room for all of me to co-exist.
If there’s a through line in my professional life, it’s this: work with excellence, speak up often, and help make positive change in communities.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can visit my website faitthbooks.com and contact me there so we can work together!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://faitthbrooks.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/faitthb
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/faitthb
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Faitthb
