Cleo Wade’s D.C. "Where to Begin" book tour stop gets intimate
Author Cleo Wade reads from her new book, “Where to Begin.” (Victoria Daniels/The Black Explosion)
Red wine and hugs were used to bridge the gap and form an evening of community and therapy.
Cleo Wade sat in front of women and men of all ages at the Eaton Workshop on Oct. 9 as she set the tone for the evening by reading the poem “Where to Begin,” which the poetry book is named after in a soft, gentle voice that calmed the audience in the dimmed room. Only a violet light illpouminated Wade as some closed their eyes to listen while others watched her with captivating intent.
Wade grew up poor in New Orleans with a black father and white mother whom divorced when she was 5 years old. Choosing fashion over college, she moved to the Big Apple to explore her options. Companies such as Alice & Olivia, Cartier and Armani provided her with the financial stability she never had before, but the money did not make her happy. In 2014, she posted her first poem on Instagram and the rest was history. Her work advocates using our collective power through self-care, community cultivation, and social justice to make a change in the world.
“Where to Begin” is her reminder of what she can do in this world. Starting inward and reaching out to your neighbor are the starting points of making a difference in our world riddled with hate, racism and injustice.
“The words in this book are what stopped me from walking away from the problems of the world during tough times” Wade said. “They also help me stay connected to hope during difficult moments and remind me that even on the days that feel the most daunting, I still have the power to show up and do something, somewhere, in some way.”
The power she spoke of that is echoed on the back cover of her book, is the same power she encouraged audience members to harness during the portion of the evening she coined, the “live advice column.”
After one person spoke, the domino effect kicked in and women began to pop up all over the room with stories of sexual assault survival, questions about how to navigate male-dominated workspaces and affirmations of unity and self-worth.
“I’m angry,” said Camille Bethune-Brown, a historian at the Smithsonian Museum, in response to the conversation about violence, discrimination and sexual assault in the workplace. Bethune-Brown felt a lack of inclusivity of black women when it came to conversations of sexual assault. Her statement about showing up and continuing to do the work to make movements effective was met with applause.
Yet, the intimacy and warmth intensified when Brittany Lassiter, an IT service manager, spoke directly to Bethune-Brown and said, “I see you. I hear you.”
With no topics off-limits, women stood up telling their stories of survival and things they do to take their power back. One audience member even told Wade that after hearing her speak on the “Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life” tour, Wade’s first book, she finally realized that being sexually assaulted was not her fault.
Wade spoke on her personal life as she is expecting a child.
“I never wanted to wait until a child is my own to make or live or write for our children,” Wade said when asked what she would write or how should raise her child. She emphasized that instead of teaching children to pride themselves in competition, show them the importance of priding themselves in being kind people.
Before closing out with a poem, Wade wanted to make sure this was not the last time attendees were present in a safe space. To carry on the sense of community and support, members of Wade’s team dispersed clipboard sign-ups for community groups. Wade said the purpose of the groups of 12 is to gather monthly and be a space of “peace, love, and accountability.”
The room hummed with opportunity and excitement as people waited in line to get their book signed and speak to Wade.
What started out as a room of strangers gathering to hear their favorite author speak, turned into a night of finding neighbors who encounter similar struggles and are trying to figure out where to begin.
Pre-ordering information for “Where to Begin” can be found at https://www.cleowade.com/wtb. For more information and updates on Wade, go to her website or follow her on Instagram @cleowade.