Alicia Garza welcomes two guests this week: Cole Brown, an author, producer, and political commentator, and  Natalie Johnson, a writer and illustrator who focuses on racial justice and gender equity. Brown and Johnson just published a collection of letters and illustrations on the subject of Black love called Black Love Letters. The collection features contributions from Brontez Purnell, Morgan Jerkins, Reverend Al Sharpton, and Dr. Imani Perry, among many others. Garza, Brown and Johnson take a deep dive into this extraordinary collection of essays and illustrations.

Alicia’s roundup focuses on the death, destruction and devastation in Gaza.

Black Love Letters

Cole Brown on Twitter, Instagram

Natalie Johnson on Twitter, Instagram

Lady Don't Take No on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & TikTok

Alicia Garza on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & TikTok

 * Do you have a question for Lady’s Love Notes? Seeking advice on love/romance/relationships? CLICK HERE to send Lady Garza your question, and she may read it on the show! 

This pod is supported by the Black Futures Lab

Production by Phil Surkis

Theme music: "Lady Don't Tek No" by Latyrx

Alicia Garza founded the Black Futures Lab to make Black communities powerful in politics. She is the co-creator of #BlackLivesMatter and the Black Lives Matter Global Network, an international organizing project to end state violence and oppression against Black people. Garza serves as the Strategy & Partnerships Director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance. She is the co-founder of Supermajority, a new home for women’s activism. Alicia was recently named to TIME’s Annual TIME100 List of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, alongside her BLM co-founders Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book, The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart (Penguin Random House),  and she warns you -- hashtags don’t start movements. People do.