A graduate of Smith College and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, Tharps spent more than a decade as a magazine professional working on staff at both Vibe and Entertainment Weekly and then as a freelance writer and editor. She has written for publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Columbia Journalism Review, Essence, Glamour, xoJane.com and Vogue Black. Tharps is also the author of two critically acclaimed nonfiction books, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America (St. Martin's) and her memoir, Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain (Atria). Beacon Press released Tharps’ latest book, Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families (2016), a book The New York Times hailed as, “ …thoughtful, honest, historically textured and valuable.”