About Yaba

Dr. Yaba Blay is a scholar-activist, public speaker, and cultural consultant whose scholarship, work, and practice centers on the lived experiences of Black women and girls, with a particular focus on identity/body politics and beauty practices.

Scholar-Activist

Dr. Blay expertly translates her research and scholarship into engaging creative projects that seek to impact, if not change, our lived experiences for the better -- work that inspires both critical thinking and action.

Lauded by O Magazine for her social media activism, she has launched several viral campaigns including Locs of Love, #PrettyPeriod, and #ProfessionalBlackGirl.

Dr. Blay is the author of the award-winning One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race, the inspiration behind CNN’s television documentary “Who is Black in America?,” for which she served as consulting producer.

Public Speaker

Widely respected as one of the foremost thought leaders on the Black experience, Dr. Blay is a globally sought-after speaker on such topics as colorism, skin bleaching, beauty politics, as well as her various creative projects. Her likeness and commentary are featured in A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond, a permanent installation exhibited in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Cultural Consultant