About the Founder, Layla Saad

Hi! I’m Layla Saad, author, educator, and founder of Become A Good Ancestor. I’m here to help you heal yourself and create change in the social causes you most care about.

You may be wondering how I got into this.

My journey has involved a career as a certified coach, a viral Instagram challenge, a New York Times best-selling book, and the most incredible people along the way. But it all started with my love of learning—and being Black.

When I was younger, I’d spend entire summers with my nose in encyclopedias, discovering worlds and picturing possibilities. Some kids sleep with the lights on because they’re afraid of the dark. I’d leave the light on so I could read all night—because bookworms don’t sleep. Books shaped my world views and influenced my identity. Books felt like home.

But, there came a time in my life when I felt as though books had betrayed me.

The history books in school with one-sided narratives that purposefully left out the hard truths. The personal growth books written by white men and women that failed to empower me with the tools I needed to navigate the world as a Black woman. And the stories I loved so much that only ever featured white characters.

This realization hurt. I felt betrayed. And I knew I couldn’t be the only one.

In 2020, a study shared in the New York Times stated that, out of 7000 English fiction books published between 1950-2018, 95% were written by white authors.*

You know what that means? It means that the system was designed to erase BIPOC narratives. The education system, the book publishing industry, and the personal growth industry work together to maintain white superiority while keeping BIPOC small.

Something had to be done. So I created Become A Good Ancestor, a platform for personal growth and collective change through BIPOC teachings.

Regardless of whether you’re BIPOC or white, learning from BIPOC is key to unlocking the liberation we want for ourselves and our collective.

At Become A Good Ancestor, we help you do the inner work so you can show up as a strong advocate for social change. My team and I are committed to providing a safe space for self-reflection, respectful discussion, and integrative learning.

I think you’ll like it here.

If you’d like to stay in touch, the best way to do so is by signing up to become one of our Good Ancestor Insiders. Simply click here to enter your name and email address to receive our updates  in your inbox.

We’ll kick off our journey together with a free workshop where I help you own your voice and find clarity on your mission so that you can take bold steps towards igniting change in the world. I hope you find it valuable.

Thank you for being here. I’m honoured to support you on the road ahead.

With love,
Layla

*See quoted study here.

 
 
 
 

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Testimonials

For many Black women that do public justice education work, Layla Saad's Me and White Supremacy has become a major part of our self-care.

— EbonyJanice Moore, author, activist, scholar, and founder of Black Girl Mixtape Institute

Her work is personal, practical, reflective, applicable, difficult, effective, and imperative. For the millions of us beginning to know where to begin — where to begin to counteract our ugly history, and where to stand during this historical moment of polarization and hate — Layla answers: Begin with me. Begin with you.

— Glennon Doyle, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Love Warrior and founder of Together Rising

Layla Saad is one of the most important and valuable teachers we have right now on the subject of white supremacy and racial injustice.

— Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author

She is no-joke changing the world and, for what it's worth, the way I live my life.

— Anne Hathaway, Actor

Layla Saad's pioneering work Me and White Supremacy is a rallying call, for those humble enough to answer, to stop and examine how dominant systems shape how white people see themselves, see others and how they move through the world.

— Latham Thomas, Wellness Maven, Celebrity Doula, Best-selling author of Own Your Glow and founder of Mama Glow.

Layla not only engages readers effectively – she hands them the tools they need to change themselves so that they can better the lives of millions of people worldwide.

— Rachel Cargle, activist, writer, and lecturer

Layla Saad is an unapologetic force against white supremacy. In a world where the scales of power tip painfully in favor of injustice, Layla gives us the tools to look within, confront internalized oppression, challenge our biases and learn how to do better for one another.

— Jasmin Kaur, author of When You Ask Me Where I'm Going