Meet Zuri Lioness

We were lucky to catch up with Zuri Lioness recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zuri, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

Four-year-old me was enjoying an afternoon playing arcade games at my favorite place, Chucky Cheese when I was met with “Yuck you’re brown”. “I’m not yuck!” I thought. That blonde haired, blue-eyed boy didn’t realize there is beauty in all shades, not just his. Growing up in a suburban neighborhood in Missouri, there were often times when I was the only person that looked like me in a classroom, or at my workplace. My escape place was having friendships in the city metro area where my parents placed me and my siblings in church where I had friends who looked like me. It was only a short period of time where I had these experiences so I learned how to navigate being in both areas. At school, I was able to adapt by learning about my peers, where they are from and where they are going next. At church, we taught each other games that we would learn at home or school and I would spend time at friends houses learning their routines and cooking styles from their families. Reflecting back into my early child hood, I remember my favorite book “Wild Wild Hair” by Nikki Grimes. I realize in my adulthood that it was my favorite book because I finally had someone who looked like me, someone I can relate to, and I thought. I want to be that for someone else. Diverse books are always needed but to add on a bonus, why not create a book about children exploring so they know that there are many people around the world who do not look the same and that there are endless opportunities to explore and learn about other countries and backgrounds to educate our children. Had that boy that 4-year-old me met at Chucky Cheese read my book as a child, maybe our encounter would have been different. Maybe we could have been friends.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

As a wife and a mother to my 4-year-old son, my focus is home-schooled education for my son while writing more children’s books. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling with my family both in the United States, and out of the country. Together we have experienced 12 countries and 14 on my own. Music is also a passion as we are a musical family. My husband plays the guitar, bass, keyboard and drums. I started playing the clarinet in elementary school and picked up the guitar in college. My son enjoys playing the bass, piano, and drums. Together we love to sing, dance, and play music with much laughter in our living room.
By Winter of 2025 I will be releasing a new book, please stay on the lookout for this release on Zurilioness.com.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Listen, learn, write. I believe these skills are so important because we learn when we listen, we are attentive and open when we hear which helps our minds accept what is heard. Learning is what we need to grow everyday and change the world for the better. Writing enhances our memory and gives us something to reflect back to.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was helping me see a small piece of the world. Although my parents didn’t take me out of the country, they took me on plenty of small trips that made me eager to see more to life. I now take my son on many big trips where we experience countries like Japan and Romania. The experience my parents gave me was worth every moment. To experience the history of caves, explore the waters of rafting, the long hours driving from the midwest to the east coast, seeing different people, learning the ways of the highways, using a map and working on school work during the long car rides prepared me to navigate how different systems work in different places.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zurilioness.com
• Instagram: zurilionessbooks