Jamilah Lemieux

Jamilah Lemieux is a writer, cultural critic, and editor known for her commentary on race, gender, and pop culture. Lemieux first gained recognition through her blog, "The Beautiful Struggler," which earned her a following and multiple Black Weblog Award distinctions. After graduating from Howard University, she began a journalism career with bylines in Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Nation, Essence, Vanity Fair, and other major publications.

Lemieux developed her editorial experience at EBONY magazine, where she served as news and lifestyle editor and later as senior editor. She contributed to the launch of the publication's website and the evolution of its brand identity. She also held the role of vice president of news and men's programming at iOne Digital, where she helped launch Cassius, a digital lifestyle platform focused on millennial audiences of color. In addition to her media work, Lemieux has worked as a communications strategist in politics, advising Cynthia Nixon's gubernatorial campaign and serving as a surrogate for presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, including leading an HBCU campaign tour.

Lemieux has appeared as a commentator on CNN, ABC, CBS, BET, MSNBC, Comedy Central's "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," and "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah." She was featured in Lifetime's docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly" and "Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning," as well as A&E's "Secrets of Playboy," reflecting her advocacy for accountability and justice. Lemieux has contributed to literature by writing forewords for anniversary editions of Michele Wallace's "Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman" and Ann Petry's "Miss Muriel and Other Stories," and by being featured in the anthology "How We Fight White Supremacy."

Lemieux writes a weekly advice column for Slate's "Care and Feeding" parenting section and co-hosts the podcast "Mom and Dad Are Fighting." Her book, "Black. Single. Mother.: Real Life Tales of Longing and Belonging," combines memoir, cultural analysis, and the stories of 21 Black single mothers, addressing stereotypes and stigma related to Black single motherhood. The book was featured on NPR's Fresh Air. As a public speaker, Lemieux has addressed audiences at Harvard, Columbia, Howard, NYU, SXSW, and the Brooklyn Museum, and delivered remarks at the official commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the death of Malcolm X.