Stephanie Stokes Oliver – författare

Heart & Soul founding editor Stephanie Stokes Oliver shows African American women how to soothe the soul, satisfy the mind, and revive the body 365 days a year.Written in an affirming style that is prescriptive but never preachy, fun but not frivolous, Daily Cornbread is a day-by-day compendium of Oliver’s creative ideas for leading an enjoyable and fulfilling life. On January 2, for example, Oliver suggests taking time out to "get happy" (do something that makes you happy an hour a day); to schedule a personal retreat; and to develop a strategic plan for the upcoming year.Reminiscent of Sarah Ban Breathnach’s Simple Abundance and Iyanla Vanzant’s Acts of Faith: Daily Meditations for People of Color, but with a special emphasis on nurturing the body as well as the mind, Daily Cornbread shows African American women how to make each day better.From the Trade Paperback edition.

From the author of Daily Cornbread, Seven Soulful Secrets will motivate women to become not just better than they are but the best they can be.In a tone that is as encouraging and comforting as your favorite quilt, veteran journalist and NiaOnline editor in chief Stephanie Stokes Oliver shows women of all ages how to get the most out of life by finding their purpose and minding their mission. In seven wonderfully crafted chapters, Stokes Oliver reveals her soulful secrets in a simple but potent acronym that spells PURPOSE.Purpose: plan, persevere, and follow your own personal missionUltimacy: release your best, “ultimate” selfRelaxation: reduce stress and incorporate daily self-care into your routinePositivity: claim the joy in your life and celebrate yourselfOptimum health: make the commitment to self-improvement, health, and fitnessSpirituality: develop and maintain a connection to God/SpiritEsteem: boost your self-esteem and create healthy relationshipsAt once a practical how-to book and a spiritual guide, Seven Soulful Secrets speaks directly to the African American women who embraced Daily Cornbread and to all women eager to live a life that is authentic, vibrant, and fulfilling.From the Hardcover edition.

Song for My Father is a daughter's memoir of her father, Charles M. Stokes, a prominent African-American member of the National Republican Party. Known as "Stokey," he was born just forty years after the abolition of slavery. But by the time he became a pioneer in the fields of law, legislation, and politics -- during the turbulent and transformative 1960s and 70s -- contemporary associations of the GOP with the "party of Lincoln" had faded. Stokes's choice to remain a Republican against the tide of black Democratic political loyalty took courage. He would live to become Seattle's first black state legislator and serve as Washington State's first African-American district court judge. With Song for My Father, Ms. Stokes pays tribute to a man whose love for his country, his family, and his people made a world of difference for generations to come. Stokes's life is a compelling example of what American Dreams are made of.

On Election Day in 1960, a classmate of Stephanie Stokes Oliver threatened to beat her up. Why? Because in their class''s mock presidential election, Stephanie revealed that she would follow her father''s lead and vote for Nixon over Kennedy. Stephanie realized this day that her family was different from most other African Americans at the time: They were Republicans.Song for My Father is Stokes Oliver''s memoir of her father, Charles M. Stokes, a prominent member of the National Republican Party. Known as "Stokey," this pioneering black man in the fields of law, legislation, and politics raised three children in the tumultuous 1960s and 70s, when memories of the Republican Party as the party of Abraham Lincoln -- and association of the party with the emancipation of slaves -- had faded. As Stephanie came of age, she and her father disagreed on everything -- especially politics -- but they were bound by mutual love and respect.Born in Kansas in the early twentieth century, Charles M. Stokes established himself in his home state as a lawyer and a Republican leader before moving in 1943 to Seattle, where he was the only black attorney in private practice. He later became Seattle''s first black state legislator and served as Washington State''s first African-American district court judge. When he ran for lieutenant governor in 1960, Stokes was narrowly defeated in the primary, but his political race blazed a trail for other African Americans in both local and national politics. This is Stokes Oliver''s tribute to a larger-than-life father, but it is also the inspiring story of an American family who worked, struggled, dreamed, and succeeded.