Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah writes about Black artists and their lives with the great care and depth they deserve. In an interview on the Buzzfeed podcast, Another Round with Heben & Tracy, she states that the ways in which Black artists are written into the canon are “abysmal.” She has made it her business to change that. Her meticulous research and unrelenting focus come through in each essay and profile she writes, and in the interviews she conducts. She uses her words to bear witness to Black artistic and personal journeys in a way that is reverent and compelling. Below, you will find some of her fine work, including profiles of literary icon Toni Morrison and music industry genius Missy Elliott.

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• “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You: The BeyHive.” NPR, March 2014.
• “Shmoney For The Ancestors (with Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah.)” Another Round with Heben & Tracy, Buzzfeed, May 2015.
• “The Radical Vision of Toni Morrison.” The New York Times Magazine, April 2015.
• “The Weight of James Arthur Baldwin.” Buzzfeed, February 2016.
• “The Philosopher and Her Camera.” New Republic, September 2016.
• “Her Eyes Were Watching The Stars: How Missy Elliot Became an Icon.” Elle, May 2017.

[Updated Tuesday 8/22]:

• “A Most American Terrorist: The Making of Dylann Roof.” GQ, August 2017.

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Zoë Gadegbeku is the Communications Manager for the Elma Lewis Center. She blogs at shewhowritesreality.com.