Headshot photography with Kala

Kala’s resume makes me feel a little lazy… She’s worked in Psychological and UX research settings at Harvard, Oxford, Duke, Harvard Medical School and as a US Fulbright Scholar.

She’s launched a financial technology startup utilising AI and Blockchain to make the credit and lending ecosystem in Africa fairer for all.

She’s launched a nonprofit called I’m Heard, which aims to end the stigma of mental illness in minority communities.

She’s also mum to a one-year-old, a Sunday School Teacher and, in her spare time, she likes to write.

Her first novel, published in April 2022, is called Afrotistic.

It’s a story about a Black autistic girl in a small town in upstate New York. With the use of a robot toy invention, mentors, and some fellow autistic friends along the way, she realises there’s more than one way to be both fantastically autistic, and beautifully Black.

The Worst Saturday Ever was published in November 2023. 

The story follows 12-year-old Samuel who has been labeled as an outsider by society. On one ordinary Saturday, two of his classmates do something questionable, and the racist and ableist algorithm-driven po-bots pounce. Samuel must learn to overcome his fears and use his outsider traits to save the day.

However, her best-known title is probably Autistic and Black, a non-fiction work published in February this year.

Exploring everything from self-love and appreciation, to the harsh realities of police brutality, anti-Black racism, and barriers to care, as well as amplifying the voices of the inspiring advocates who actively work towards change, protection, and acceptance for themselves and others, this book is an empowering force, reminding Black autistic readers that they are enough.

I asked Kala how she gets motivated on days when she feels less inclined to write, and she told me that she commits to an achievable amount of time – 30 minutes, say – and is happy as long as she does that.

This is less daunting than insisting to herself that she will spend the whole day writing, and she often finds she’s keen to continue past those first 30 minutes anyway. As is often the case, getting started is the hardest part.

Kala and her family are preparing to move to North Carolina where she is looking forward to being closer to her family (and enjoying nicer weather, too!), although she will miss Oxford and the community here.

I’m sure she will pop back to the UK in time, however, either to visit friends or as a speaker and advocate for the many incredible causes she champions.

Find out more about Kala and book her for your next event via her website.

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If you’re looking for professional headshots in the Oxfordshire area, please get in contact.

Sarah Plater AMPA is an award-winning qualified, certified professional portrait photographer based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

She is the Master Photographers Association Young Families Portrait Photographer of the Year 2022 and Newborn Photographer of the Year 2019 for the Central Region (covering Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire) and achieved a Studio Portrait Finalist Award at the 2023 National Competition.