[Editor’s Note: This a CORRECTED version of this article previously published]
When Charlamagne Tha God, the host of the breakfast club and advocate of black mental health teamed up with Anita Kopacz, a spiritual psychologist that helps men and women overcome childhood trauma, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking; together they produced magic in a book called, “Shallow Waters”. Shallow Waters is now available for pre-sale and debuts on August 3, 2021.
Shallow Waters is about the Yoruba deity “Yemaya”, known as the goddess of the sea. Legend has said, when Africans were hoarded onto the slave ships, Yemaya came with them, thus becoming the Goddess of the Ocean. It is believed that she is a protector.
To this day, she is celebrated across the diaspora. Celebrations typically begin on January 1st and go until the end of February. She is known by several names, but her traditions continue in the countries to which her people were dispersed: North and South America, the Caribbean and along the West African Coast.
Kopacz, a survivor of childhood trauma, started writing to comfort her spirit. In 2010, she published, “Finding Your Way”. A book that explains life’s most basic and valuable lessons from spiritual concepts created to enrich the soul.
In 2019 she started a company called, Zero F’s Given which first launched as a tee shirt campaign to help The Center for Safety & Change. The Center for Safety & Change is a nonprofit organization serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other violent crimes. Oprah Winfrey, Charlamagne Tha God and many other celebrities wore the t-shirts to advocate no shame for speaking up against abuse.
In 2020, while Kopacz was writing “Shallow Waters,” Charlamagne Tha God launched, Black Privilege Publishing, a new imprint from Atria Books at Simon & Schuster. Charlamagne fell in love with the book and immediately wanted to publish it. Shallow Waters will debut 3 months after Black Privilege Publishing’s first book release, Tamika Mallory’s “State of Emergency”.
“Now, thanks to Black Privilege Publishing, we don’t just read and write—we read, we write, and we publish our own narratives,” said Charlamagne.
Kopacz, whose mother is from the West Indies where Yemaya is celebrated, wrote “Shallow Waters” to bring this deity of the sea to life in a fantasy novel about the power of black resilience, love and feminine strength in Antebellum America.
