Blair Imani
Blair Imani is a critically acclaimed historian, author, educator, and influencer. Her scholarship spans the subjects of intersectionality, gender studies, race and racism, sociology, and United States history. The New York Times praises Blair Imani’s unique ability to create “progressive lessons with vibrant visuals and a perky, quirky delivery.”
She is the author of Read This to Get Smarter: about Race, Class, Gender, Disability, and More (2021), Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream (2020), and Modern HERstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History (2018).
She has lectured and presented at universities including Oxford, Stanford, Brown, Harvard, Duke, and many more. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Tegan and Sara Foundation, and on the Board of Trustees for Muslims for Progressive Values.
Her work centers women and girls, global Black communities, and the LGBTQ community. As an educator and influencer, semi-retired organizer, and public speaker, Blair Imani is dedicated to making the world a better place and amplifying the voices and work of those fighting the good fight.
Learn more about Blair Imani by visiting blairimani.com and joining her on social media @blairimani.
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Why Intersectionality Matters: Creating An Equitable World Through Accountability
In this talk, Blair Imani examines her Black, Queer and Muslim existence. As a writer, mental health advocate, and historian living at the intersections of these identities, Blair recognizes the unique ways she interacts with her world and within her communities. By exploring the uniqueness of her experience, she illustrates the need more empathy as well as providing space for more diverse voices.
See Blair Imani in action.
Creator of the viral education sensation #SmarterInSeconds
Blair Imani is the creator of the viral web series, Smarter In Seconds, LA Times bestselling author of Read This to Get Smarter, and co-host of the podcast Thoughts About Feelings. The New York Times praises Blair Imani’s unique ability to create “progressive lessons with vibrant visuals and a perky, quirky delivery.” Her scholarship spans intersectionality, gender studies, race and racism, sociology, and United States history. She is also a historian, having written Making Our Way Home(2020) and Modern HERstory (2018).
She has had the opportunity to present at renowned universities and companies including Oxford, Harvard, Planned Parenthood, Sephora, and Intuit. Blair Imani serves on the Board of Directors of the Tegan and Sara Foundation. She has collaborated with and interviewed influential people across a variety of fields including Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem, and Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw.
Blair Imani believes in the transformative power of education and that self understanding is the key to recognizing our interconnectedness. She is very proud to be known publicly as “the Smarter in Seconds lady,” and feels it is an honor to be a part of so many people’s learning experiences. She consistently promotes the value of mutual respect across differences, asserting that meaningful progress requires creating spaces where diverse perspectives are honored and dehumanization is not tolerated. Empathy and respect are not just important values but essential tools for challenging oppressive systems.
In 2025 she was awarded the Activist with Impact Award by REACH LA, an organization dedicated to celebrating LGBTQIA+ people of color through wellness, HIV/AIDS prevention, and personal development.
Learn more about Blair Imani by visiting blairimani.com and joining her on social media @blairimani.
Our speakers get attention.
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Footwear Brand, Birdies, Debuts What Are You Running? Campaign featuring Activist, Blair Imani and Interior Designer, Brigette RomanekToday, Birdies, the female-founded, direct-to-consumer footwear brand out of San Francisco, has introduced their first integrated brand campaign, What Are You Running? featuring activist and author, Blair Imani and celebrity…
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Best-Selling Author And Social Influencer Blair Imani To Launch First Beauty CollectionLooking for a new lippie to add to your collection? Look no further than Blair Imani's new Smarter Lip Sets, launching today!
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Influencer Blair Imani’s Social Media For Making ChangeDo you want to learn about social justice, microaggressions, NFTs and the friend zone with just one account? Follow Blair Imani on social media.
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Blair Imani nominates Kahlil Greene for the GMA Inspiration List"Good Morning America" and ABC News asked influential people who identify as Black to nominate fellow members of the community to create the latest GMA Inspiration List.
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Author Blair Imani on the importance of setting boundaries: ‘I’m not trying to set myself on fire to keep other people warm’Blair Imani — historian, educator, influencer and author of the books Read This to Get Smarter, Making Our Way Home and Modern HERstory — has inspired people worldwide with her…
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Instagram Is Collaborating With Bestselling Author Blair Imani And Other Women Of Color For A Day Of HealingWhile some black women have been advocating for healing and putting their mental health first for years, celebrity athletes like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles helped pushed this important issue…
"Blair was phenomenal. Her keynote was very well received and the students we so excited to be able to meet with her afterwards. I will certainly be recommending her to anyone looking for speakers in the future!"
"Blair was fantastic. She really enjoyed our campus and students. She was gracious with her time and made it a point to connect with our students throughout the day. We had a great turn-out and many student supporters. My colleagues who co-sponsored the event were beyond happy with Blair's talk. I had several senior administrators approach me after the event to congratulate our center for bringing such a great speaker. "
"It went so well...the talk was informative and entertaining and I felt like I got a lot more out of the book, and we had a great Q&A session and book signing afterwards! Plus, it was fun driving with her to Culver’s while listening to Old Town Road."
"Blair is a gem, and exceeded my personal expectations. She’s got fresh energy."
"Blair was amazing! The students absolutely loved her."
