Shannon Luders-Manuel

Critical Mixed Race Scholar and Writer

Hollywood, California

I am a master's graduate and freelance writer living in Los Angeles. My primary focus is on issues related to race, representation, and equality. I provide high quality content in many forms, including academic, op-ed, personal essay, and profiles. I also work as a freelance editor, content editor, sensitivity reader, and content writer for individual and corporate clients.

Shannon Luders-Manuel

Critical Mixed Race Scholar and Writer

Hollywood, California

A Civil Rights Leader's Killer Sentenced 31 Years Late | JSTOR Daily
On June 11th, 1963, Mississippi Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers was fatally shot in his driveway, while his wife and children ducked for cover inside their home.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily
Barack Obama and the Nommo Tradition of Afrocentric Orality
Black actors, entertainers, and everyday citizens often have a particular cadence to their voices that others can identify as “black,” whether or not the listeners can see the individual speaking. Popular culture seems to think that black men sound wise simply by their voices alone, leading to black actors narrating myriad commercials, including Dennis Haysbert for Allstate Insurance and Samuel L.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily
Featured
On Taye Diggs and Reckoning with the Changing Realities of Race in America
My father was a proud paralegal for the NAACP back in the 80s and 90s. He marched in rallies for race equality and was actively involved in uplifting the Black community. When I was growing up, he often had me watch the PBS series “Eyes on the Prize,” which documented the events of the Civil Rights Movement.
For Harriet
At AdColor, 'Five Woke Women' challenge perceptions of identity in the workplace
It was standing room only for ADCOLOR's afternoon panel on Monday in Los Angeles. The panelists discussed the challenges of creating true inclusion and understanding in the workplace, and detailed how they work to broaden their own knowledgebase about the current cultural climate.
Campaign US
Codifying What Counts as a Word in Scrabble | JSTOR Daily
When Alfred M. Butts first created a game called Lexico (or Lexiko) for his family in 1931, he had no idea a version of the game would still be played all across the globe decades later.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily
The Inequality Hidden Within the Race-Neutral G.I. Bill
This summer, President Trump stated that an increase in jobs would lessen racial divides and boost race relations, combating the type of tension seen in the Charlottesville protests. History has shown, however, that an increase in employment is not enough to boost the socioeconomic conditions of a minority population.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily
More Hidden Figures of NASA History
By now, just about everyone has heard of the 2016 film Hidden Figures, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, who portray of a group of black female “computers” at NASA’s Langley Research Center. The film, which has already garnered a number of awards, cast these once unsung pioneers into the public eye.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily
Coverage Of Black Looters During Hurricane Irma Reinforces Stereotypes
Like many Americans, I tried to keep close tabs on Floridian friends and family during Hurricane Irma. I was most worried about my half-brother in Fort Lauderdale, and I benignly clicked on a news link about the city on my Facebook sidebar. The link announced that a news crew had caught looters on tape and that the perpetrators had subsequently been arrested.
Ravishly
AdColor kicks off with talk of Emmy wins and Trump in annual 'Moments that Changed America' panel
The 11th annual AdColor Conference opened in Los Angeles on Monday morning with two major themes: the historic, diverse Emmy wins from the previous night, and the challenge of marching forward as a nation under President Trump.
Campaign US
Former ISIS Sex Slave Becomes Global Activist Against Human Trafficking
"Our Future and Dreams Have Been Taken - Yazidi Slave Survivors" | Thomson Reuters Foundation. A collaboration between the Thomson Reuters Foundation and Link TV, "Trust Docs" is a new documentary series that explores underreported stories around the world. Watch full episodes of "Trust Docs" exclusively on Link TV.
Link TV
How African Americans Supported Evolution in the 1925 Scopes Trial
In July of this year, a prominent statue of antievolutionist William Jennings Bryan in Dayton, Tennessee acquired a new neighbor—a statue of Clarence Darrow, the evolutionist and criminal defense attorney who fought against Bryan in the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily
My White Childhood Best Friend Was Forbidden to See Me — Until She Found Me 29 Years Later
In sixth grade, my best friend Brandy had the haphazard look of someone whose parents paid as little attention to their children as possible. I, in a similar fashion, had a bushy afro that didn’t know where it belonged. Our school, which had just begun bussing, reflected the tense racial reality that would soon infiltrate our friendship.
Ravishly
How The "Fag Hag" Went From Hated to Celebrated | JSTOR Daily
At its core, the relationship between single women and gay men has longstanding historical roots.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily
Featured
Aged 24, I Flew to Sacramento to Care for My Dying Alcoholic Father. This Is What I Learned.
When I was a little girl, I looked up to my dad the way most little girls look up to their fathers. I liked watching the way he’d cross his legs while he smoked his pipe in contemplation. I liked lifting my dumbbell while he lifted his barbell. I liked telling people that my ex-prison father could beat them up at a moment’s notice.
The Influence
Who Runs the Running of the Bulls?
From July 6th to July 14th, Pamplona, Spain will host its annual bull run during the festival of San Fermín. Over one thousand onlookers from around the world gather together to witness a handful of bulls released into the street, as the bulls are herded toward the stadium where they will later be killed in a bullfight.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily
Race and Labor in the 1863 New York City Draft Riots
An enormous historical event that shaped New York City is not much spoken of today. In July 1863, about 1,200 to 1,500 men, mostly Irish dockworkers, rioted against the Civil War draft in New York City in a four-day upheaval, targeting black workers and citizens.
JSTOR Daily
JSTOR Daily

About

Shannon Luders-Manuel

Proofreading

Resume Building

Curriculum Writing

Editing

Content Writing

Book Reviewing

Academic Writing

Blogging

Teaching

Personal Essay

Resumes and Cover Letters

Tutoring

Ghostwriting

Lecturing

Public Speaking

Content Editing

ghostwriting

Sensitivity Reading

I work as a critical mixed race scholar and writer, through both academic and creative publications. With a background in such diverse areas as rhetoric, linguistics and creative writing, my work encapsulates a variety of writing styles, and my interests are likewise varied.

I was named Southern Oregon University's best graduate of the past 10 years by the college's linguistics professor. I then went on to receive my Masters in English Literature, where I produced an 80+ page thesis on the "tragic mulatta" genre. I have a scholarly publication in Vanderbilt University's online journal AmeriQuests, and I presented my SOU capstone paper on dictionary history at the Southeastern Conference on Linguistics.

In 2014, I was a featured writer at the Mixed Remixed Festival in Los Angeles for an in-progress memoir about taking care of my father at the end of life. In June 2016, my commissioned book "Being Biracial: Where Our Secret Worlds Collide: Educators' Guide" was published to accompany an anthology of the same name, published in 2015. I have also had the honor of writing profiles about Olympic open-water swimmer Lynne Cox and YoungArts winner and filmmaker Gabrielle Gorman.

I am passionate about using language to bridge divides between races and cultures and to connect with others on a personal level.