Meet Og | Artist & Book Lover

We had the good fortune of connecting with Og and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi OG, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My business, Literally Black, is centered around creating a space where Black stories are celebrated. I think I am helping my community by giving Black women a space where they can be themselves-no judgement, no code switching, no pretending. I’m also on a mission to expose more readers to Black literature and making sure that these stories reach who they need to reach.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I happen to be an artist running a book club and matching bookish brand, which already sets me apart. My work is really about merging my love for art and reading into a space that feels like home for Black women. I don’t just come up with book boxes and other book related items, I am creating a whole experience in the same way that I would map out my next painting.

Now that I am running this full operation on my own, I’ve had some challenges and I have had some big wins as well. I’ve had to make changes, hoping and praying that my audience would pivot with me and it’s always a bit of a gamble. But what makes it all feel worth it is that my people are finding me. Seeing people stick around and connect with what I’m building, despite the shifts, is something I’m really proud of. It’s proof that this space is needed and that’s what keeps me going.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am the worst person for this question as a full time homebody. Not to mention that I live in what I consider to be a small town. But if my book girls are coming to visit me, we would go on a tour of some of the Black owned bookstores I know in and around the Atlanta area, starting with Conyers. The Book Cellar in Conyers would be our first stop and then we would probably slide on over to 44th and 3rd Bookstore in Atlanta. I admit, I am directionally challenged so Google would be our best friend for finding other places.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First I want to give a shout out to the person that helped me start Literally Black Book Club and thats the talented Adera Brown. We had an idea separately about creating book clubs and made the decision to bring our heads together to create the space that is now Literally Black Book Club. While she is no longer apart of the business, I do appreciate her and all she has done to help build the foundation. I also want to give a shout out to the family that makes up LB Book Club, I love these ladies like we came out of the same womb. The best book club ever.

Website: https://www.literallyblack.co

Instagram: www.instagram.com/literallyblackbookclub or @literallyblackbookclub

Other: TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@literallyblackbookclub or @literallyblackbookclub