Candice Marie Benbow hired by TheGrio
Theologian and essayist Candice Marie Benbow has been hired as the daily lifestyle, education, and health writer at TheGrio, MSNBC’s website for Black news and entertainment.
Benbow is perhaps best known for creating #LemonadeSyllabus in 2016 following the release of Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade. What began as a hashtag and social media campaign eventually became a free, downloadable resource with more than 250 works by over 70 contributors.
Since then, Benbow has become a sought-after thinker and writer on the topics of beauty, feminism, faith, and culture. She says that her goal is to reimagine how faith can be a tool of liberation for women and girls—specifically, she wants to help Black women think critically about how they see God and the world.
In her inaugural post at TheGrio, Benbow detailed her personal journey through grief and trauma and to a place where she could finally thrive. “I needed to discover that kind of life was possible—and I’m incredibly grateful I did,” she wrote.
In her new role at TheGrio, Benbow said she wanted to inspire others to thrive as well. “Through stories about us, we get to explore the truth about ourselves—what we’re going through and where we’re headed.”
Benbow’s first book, Red Lip Theology: For Church Girls Who’ve Considered Tithing to the Beauty Supply Store When Sunday Morning Isn’t Enough, came out in January.
