Tue, November 5, 2019

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM PST

California Institute of Integral Studies

1453 Mission Street 

San Francisco, CA 94103

Get Your Tickets here: >>Register Here<<

Join style blogger, plus-size Muslim model, public speaker, and activist, Leah Vernon for a conversation about her latest book, Unashamed.

About this Event

Ever since she was little, Leah Vernon was told what to believe and how to act. There wasn’t any room for imperfection. Good Muslim girls listened more than they spoke. They didn’t have a missing father or a mother with mental illness. They didn’t have fat bodies or grow up wishing they could be like the white characters they saw on TV. They didn’t have husbands who abused and cheated on them. They certainly didn’t have secret abortions. 

In Leah’s latest book, Unashamed, she takes to task the myth of the perfect Muslim woman with frank dispatches on her love-hate relationship with her hijab and her faith, race, weight, mental illness, domestic violence, sexuality, the millennial world of dating, and the process of finding her voice. Tired of the constant policing of her clothing in the name of Islam and Western beauty standards, she reflects on her experiences with hustling paycheck to paycheck, body-shaming, and redefining what it means to be a “good” Muslim. Leah’s work opens up about her journey to overcome her tumultuous adolescence living at the poverty line with her fiercely loving but troubled mother, her deadbeat dad, and her siblings, and the violent dissolution of her 10-year marriage.

Join Lean as she talks about her life and work, and gives anyone who is marginalized permission to live an unapologetic, confident life.

Leah Vernon is a style blogger, plus-size Muslim model, public speaker, and activist. She has been featured in BuzzFeed,Huffington Post, Elle, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, Teen Vogue, MuslimGirl, and hundreds of combined podcasts, television appearances, radio spots, and other features. She’s also worked with national and international brands such as Adidas Originals, Torrid, Lane Bryant, Ashley Stewart, Addition Elle, and Eloquii. She received a 2017 Gilda Snowden Award from the Kresge Arts Foundation and is a 2018 recipient of an Ariane De Rothschild Fellowship. She lives in New York, NY. Connect with her on Instagram and her blog.

Event date:

Monday, October 21, 2019 - 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Event address:

19560 Grand River Ave.

Detroit, MI 48223

We are beyond excited to have Detroit author Leah Vernon at Pages to discuss her searingly honest memoir, "Unashamed: Musings of a Fat, Black, Muslim. Kirkus Review says, "Vernon's narration reads like an intimate heart-to-heart chat with a friend . . . Irreverent, vulnerable, and unapologetic in every sense."

This event is free and open to the public. Leah's book will be available for purchase before and after the event. 

About Unashamed: 

Unashamed is a searing, honest memoir of one young woman’s journey toward self-acceptance as she chooses to live her life unapologetically. Tired of the constant policing of her clothing in the name of Islam and Western beauty standards, Leah Vernon takes to task the myth of the perfect Muslim woman with frank dispatches on her love-hate relationship with her hijab and her faith, on weight, on mental illness, on domestic violence, on sexuality, and on the process of finding her voice. With charming irreverence, Vernon reflects on her experiences hustling paycheck to paycheck, navigating the millennial world of dating, and coming to see her body as a symbol of rebellion and hope. 

LEAH VERNON is a style blogger, plus-size Muslim model, public speaker, and activist. She has been featured in BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Elle, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, Teen Vogue, MuslimGirl, and hundreds of combined podcasts, television appearances, radio spots, and other features. She's also worked with national and international brands such as Adidas Originals, Torrid, Lane Bryant, Ashley Stewart, Addition Elle, and Eloquii. She received a 2017 Gilda Snowden Award from the Kresge Arts Foundation and is a 2018 recipient of an Ariane De Rothschild Fellowship. She lives in New York, NY. Connect with her on Instagram (lvernon2000) and her blog (leahvernon.com).

Come meet with Leah V at Playground Detroit @ 4pm to 6pm for her huge book launch bash!

Event Address: 2845 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48207

The dress code will be colorblock (like my book cover or whatever else colors you like) or a monochromatic look.

A searingly honest memoir of one young woman's journey toward self-acceptance as she comes to see her body as a symbol of rebellion and hope and chooses to live her life unapologetically.

Ever since she was little, Leah Vernon was told what to believe and how to act. There wasn't any room for imperfection. Good Muslim girls listened more than they spoke. They didn't have a missing father or a mother with mental illness. They didn't have fat bodies or grow up wishing they could be like the white characters they saw on TV. They didn't have husbands who abused and cheated on them. They certainly didn't have secret abortions. In Unashamed, Vernon takes to task the myth of the perfect Muslim woman with frank dispatches on her love-hate relationship with her hijab and her faith, race, weight, mental illness, domestic violence, sexuality, the millennial world of dating, and the process of finding her voice.

She opens up about her tumultuous adolescence living at the poverty line with her fiercely loving but troubled mother, her deadbeat dad, and her siblings, and the violent dissolution of her 10-year marriage. Tired of the constant policing of her clothing in the name of Islam and Western beauty standards, Vernon reflects on her experiences with hustling paycheck to paycheck, body-shaming, and redefining what it means to be a "good" Muslim.

Irreverent, youthful, and funny, Unashamed gives anyone who is marginalized permission to live unapologetic, confident lives.

Unashamed is a searing, honest memoir of one young woman’s journey toward self-acceptance as she chooses to live her life unapologetically. Tired of the constant policing of her clothing in the name of Islam and Western beauty standards, Leah Vernon takes to task the myth of the perfect Muslim woman with frank dispatches on her love-hate relationship with her hijab and her faith, on weight, on mental illness, on domestic violence, on sexuality, and on the process of finding her voice. With charming irreverence, Vernon reflects on her experiences hustling paycheck to paycheck, navigating the millennial world of dating, and coming to see her body as a symbol of rebellion and hope. 

Leah Vernon is a style blogger, plus-size Muslim model, public speaker, and activist. She has been featured in BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Elle, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, Teen Vogue, MuslimGirl, and hundreds of combined podcasts, television appearances, radio spots, and other features. She’s also worked with national and international brands such as Adidas Originals, Torrid, Lane Bryant, Ashley Stewart, Addition Elle, and Eloquii. She received a 2017 Gilda Snowden Award from the Kresge Arts Foundation and is a 2018 recipient of an Ariane De Rothschild Fellowship. She lives in New York, NY.

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

Ever since she was little, Leah Vernon was told what to believe and how to act. There wasn't any room for imperfection. Good Muslim girls listened more than they spoke. They didn't have a missing father or a mother with mental illness. They didn't have fat bodies or grow up wishing they could be like the white characters they saw on TV. They didn't have husbands who abused and cheated on them. They certainly didn't have secret abortions. In Unashamed, Vernon takes to task the myth of the perfect Muslim woman with frank dispatches on her love-hate relationship with her hijab and her faith, race, weight, mental illness, domestic violence, sexuality, the millennial world of dating, and the process of finding her voice.

She opens up about her tumultuous adolescence living at the poverty line with her fiercely loving but troubled mother, her deadbeat dad, and her siblings, and the violent dissolution of her 10-year marriage. Tired of the constant policing of her clothing in the name of Islam and Western beauty standards, Vernon reflects on her experiences with hustling paycheck to paycheck, body-shaming, and redefining what it means to be a "good" Muslim.

Irreverent, youthful, and funny, Unashamed gives anyone who is marginalized permission to live unapologetic, confident lives.

Join us in the second floor Art Department as Leah Vernon shares her book!