Michaela Angela Davis is a writer on

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

style, race, gender and hip-hop culture in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. She is also a fashion expert and an "image activist."

Early life

Michaela Angela Davis was born on March 31, 1964, in

Landshut Landshut (; bar, Landshuad) is a town in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also ...

, Germany, and raised in Washington, D.C. She is the daughter of Harold Edward Gregory Davis and Helen Jean Butler. Her mother was convinced that her next child would be a boy and, after visiting the

Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel (; la, Sacellum Sixtinum; it, Cappella Sistina ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its nam ...

during her pregnancy, decided to name him Michael Angelo. When Davis was born, her mother gave her the female version of the name, Michaela Angela."Michaela Angela Davis: The Makings of an Urbanista"
Ganeka Gray, ''Clutch Magazine'', August 1, 2008 Davis has two sisters, Debbie and Monica, and a brother, Eddie. She began her studies at the

Duke Ellington School of the Arts The Duke Ellington School of the Arts (established 1974) is a high school located at 35th Street and R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School syst ...

in Washington, D.C., as a National Arts Scholar. She went to college at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

, and studied at the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory, and the

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is a modern dance company based in New York City. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey. It is made up of 32 dancers, led by artistic director Robert Battle and associate ...

Publishing and writing career

After completing her studies, Davis went to work in 1991 for ''

Essence Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...

'' as an associate fashion editor.Michaela Angela Davis biography
American Program Bureau speakers Her first assignment was the styling of

Anita Hill Anita Faye Hill (born July 30, 1956) is an American lawyer, educator and author. She is a professor of social policy, law, and women's studies at Brandeis University and a faculty member of the university's Heller School for Social Policy and ...

in preparation for her testimony before Congress for the nomination hearings of

Clarence Thomas Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall and has served since 1 ...

as a Supreme Court justice. Davis became the associate fashion, culture and the executive fashion and beauty editor for ''

'' magazine. She was the founding fashion director for ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' magazine, and she was the last editor-in-chief of ''

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

'', a magazine for 18- to 34-year-old black women. IDavis has contributed to many projects, such as ''Everything But the Burden: What White People are Taking from Black Culture'' (ed.

Greg Tate Gregory Stephen Tate (October 14, 1957December 7, 2021) was an American writer, musician, and producer. A long-time critic for '' The Village Voice'', Tate focused particularly on African-American music and culture, helping to establish hip ...

; Broadway Books, 2003). She wrote ''Beloved Baby: A Baby's Scrapbook and Journal'' (Pocket Books, 1995). In 2020, she and

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

published a memoir entitled, ''

The Meaning of Mariah Carey ''The Meaning of Mariah Carey'' is a memoir by Mariah Carey, released on September 29, 2020. It was written with Michaela Angela Davis, and was published by Andy Cohen Books, an imprint of Henry Holt, as well as in an audiobook format read by C ...

,'' and in 2022 they published a picture book, '' The Christmas Princess''.

Stylist

Davis was also a celebrity stylist for people such as

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups ...

, Mary J. Blige and

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

. She has worked as a stylist on several films, including '' Paid in Full'' (2002).

Film career

She has been featured in documentary films including ''The Souls of Black Girls'' (2008). Davis has had several television appearances, most recently on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

in their presentation of ''Hip Hop vs. America II: Am I My Sister's Keeper?'' Davis executive produced the 2022 Hulu docuseries "The Hair Tales" along with

and

Tracee Ellis Ross Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and '' Black-ish'' (2014–2022). She is ...

Activism

Davis is working on a novel called ''The Revolution of Happiness: A Book and Digital Conversation Project.'' It is a culmination of "honest and innovative cross-generational conversations with revolutionary-thinking Black women about disturbing the pain that has burdened or molested our natural exquisite selves". Davis is the leader of "Mad Free," a multi-platform, multi-generational critical community conversation.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Michaela Angela Living people 1964 births African-American women journalists African-American journalists American women journalists African-American women writers American non-fiction writers Writers from Washington, D.C. New York University alumni American fashion journalists Stella Adler Studio of Acting alumni American expatriates in Germany 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women