"Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing and Hope" By Karamo Brown

LLP Week #221: “Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing and Hope” by Karamo Brown

I have a lot to say about how much I love the “Queer Eye” show on Netflix. But let’s start here: Karamo Brown. In the series, he is billed as the “culture expert” but that does not even begin to describe the heart and soul of this wonderful man. He is more like the show’s social worker and psychotherapist, which is what he actually was trained to be. During the series, he spends his moments with participants not just seeing them, but seeing deeply within them into the person they were meant to be. His words in the show are both hypnotic and mesmerizing. His scenes are so riveting that I was excited to tackle his memoir and find out more about the man himself. Raised in the south, he grew up in a blended Jamaican-Cuban family. In high school and college he struggled not only with the person he wanted to be on the outside, but also on the inside. Early on in his life, he was faced with physical and emotional abuse, which later dovetailed into personal battles with drugs and alcohol. The revelations about his past seem almost startling when you see the calm-cool-and-collected way he is on television today. But then again, that is what is at the core of his creative memoir – finding your inner strength, confidence and self-love. He is now the single, gay father of two sons, one biological and one adopted. He is a tall, composed man who seems to almost radiate energy while he is helping others. “Karamo” is an inspiring read for those who are fans of the show, or even those who have never seen it. Anyone who has done the hard work on themselves, and survived, is a success story to me. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.