Gerren Keith Gaynor is a White House Correspondent and the Managing Editor of Politics at theGrio. He is based in Washington, D.C.Gaynor leads theGrio's political team alongside White House Correspondent and D.C. Bureau Chief April D. Ryan, covering the White House, Capitol Hill, and national politics. Notably, his work in Washington helped lead to theGrio becoming the first Black-owned digital news outlet to get a designated seat in the White House press briefing room. Gaynor has appeared on Cheddar TV, Revolt Black News, and Fox Soul’s “The Tammi Mac Show.” Forbes recognized Gaynor as one of the “10 Black LGBTQ+ Figures And Activists to Know.”
As a Black, queer journalist, Gaynor understands the power of diversity and visibility, which is why he counts it as a privilege to represent Black and LGBTQ+ communities in political spaces where diversity has not historically been embraced. Living up to theGrio’s African meaning of “storyteller,” he is passionate about telling stories that inform and humanize Black and queer experiences.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Gaynor is a proud HBCU graduate of Morehouse College and a graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism.
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April 2024
Monthly Book Recommendations
QTPoC authors will be the highlight in this section. Make sure to learn about them and read their work.
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Title: Unashamed
Author: Leah Vernon
Pronouns: She
Tags: Body Image, Isalm, Memoir, Mental Helath, Muslim, POC, Queer Women
Author Description:
Leah V is an international bombshell with a double masters in business and creative writing. She’s been featured in high-profile campaigns such as Ugg “Feel You” and Fitbit’s “Feel Your Power”. She’s the first visibly plus-size Hijabi influencer to hit the mainstream with over four million views combined. She’s also an author of The Union and Unashamed: Musings of a Fat, Black Muslim. Leah V isn’t your regular influencer; She’s a disruptor, a trendsetter, and a changemaker in her perspective fields. She began her blogging journey back in 2013, when she fell deep into disordered eating and noticed that there was no one that looked like her that was considered “worthy” or “beautiful”. And, frankly, she was tired of sucking her stomach in around her skinny friends.
With a grainy android phone and clothes from the clearance racks, she began paving her own way through the fashion industry. She used her fat, Black, and unapologetic Muslim body as a rebellion. Beauty is NOT one size fits all. She moved to New York and began smashing glass ceilings. To date, she has worked with renowned brands like Target, Dove, and Amazon just to name a few.
After years of brands telling her she had no place in the fashion world, that she was not “marketable” enough, Leah V carved her own beauty standard