Writers Bloc with Aurora James: Wildflower, A Memoir | May 11

Thursday, May 11, 2023 — 7:30 pm

Moderator Kerry Washington

You’ve seen Aurora James’ stunning and sometimes jawdropping designs on personalities like Beyonce, AOC, Lady Gaga, Meghan Markle, and others. Some of her creations end up as news items themselves, separate and apart from those wearing them. It could be argued that Aurora James’ famous “Tax the Rich” dress, worn by AOC for the MET Gala, created as much of a stir as the event itself.

But Aurora James is more than a shape-shifting designer of shoes and clothes—she’s an entrepreneur, a social change artist dedicated to bending business to do social good. As founder of the 15% Pledge, a nonprofit advocacy group, she is working with large scale retailers to pledge to have them commit 15 % of their inventory to Black-owned businesses. Her effort of convincing national chain stores to invest in Black-owned business has initiated a groundswell of support and participation from major retailers such as Nordstrom, Macys, Sephora, and others. In her new and widely respected memoir, Wildflower, Aurora James recounts her trailblazing life, her optimism amidst her challenging experiences, and the movement she created, which has landed her on every list of Most Influential People we can think of.

The talk will be moderated by Kerry Washington, an Emmy Award winning and SAG nominated actress, as well as director, producer, and social activist. You’ve seen her rise to stardom in the hit television drama Scandal, as well as in numerous other shows including the just released comedy, Unprisoned, on Hulu. Recent director credits include Scandal and Insecure. Kerry Washington is also an activist, and created the nonprofit called Influence Change (IC21), dedicated to increasing voter turnout. Time Magazine named her a Woman of the Year for 2022.

NOTE: Masks will be required for this program.