Join the Yale African American Affinity Group, LGBTQ Affinity Group, and Working Women’s Network to dive into Jodie Patterson’s first book The Bold World: A Memoir of Family and Transformation. We will be joined by special guest and activist Jodie Patterson for an exploration of identity, gender, race, and authenticity. Register by Friday, June 4th for your chance to win a free copy of the book!
In 2009, Jodie Patterson, mother of five and beauty entrepreneur, has her world turned upside down when her determined toddler, Penelope, reveals, “Mama, I’m not a girl. I am a boy.” The Pattersons are a tribe of unapologetic Black matriarchs, scholars, financiers, Southern activists, artists, musicians, and disruptors, but with Penelope’s revelation, Jodie realizes her existing definition of family isn’t wide enough for her child’s needs.
In The Bold World, we witness Patterson reshaping her own attitudes, beliefs, and biases, learning from her children, and a whole new community, how to meet the needs of her transgender son. In doing so, she opens the minds of those who raised and fortified her, all the while challenging cultural norms and gender expectations. Patterson finds that the fight for racial equality in which her ancestors were so prominent helped pave the way for the current gender revolution.