MEET THE FOUNDER SERIES
Sistah Girls, every day the Black literary community is growing. From book clubs, event planners, and community organizations that bring authors and readers together, there is something for everyone.
From the outside, looking in, organizations that support authors and readers run as though they are on autopilot. Rarely do the founders of these organizations come from behind the scenes to talk about their work.
Our Meet the Founder series goes behind the curtain to talk to the founders of these organizations. This series is a deep dive into the creative teams and minds that help to make the Black literary community thrive.
Ashley M. Coleman Thomas is a freelance writer and music industry executive. While working in the music industry for more than ten years, she also wrote for Essence.com, The Cut, Apartment Therapy, and GRAMMY.com, among others. Her passion, whether working with music makers or writers from marginalized communities, is in creating safe gathering spaces and providing educational opportunities for creatives
In 2017, she launched a community for Black writers and writers of color entitled Permission to Write. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband. Catch her tweeting through the writing process @ashleymcoleman_
I got the chance to speak with Thomas, we talked about how she started Permission to Write, and how she manages her own personal career as a writer while also providing a community of writers with resources and mentorship.
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