As we neared the end of the Amplify Black Stories celebration, a question from Denise Aduesi, Co-founder of Black Creators in KidLit, popped into the chat: How do you balance writing and activism? Thanks to the enthusiastic response from those attending, the question flitted by as quickly as it had popped onscreen while folks weighed [ Read the full article… ]
Category: The Goal
PRESS RELEASE: The United State of The BrownBook Shelf
Amplification and Advocacy Group To Galvanize Black Kid Lit (August 24, 2020) – The Brown Bookshelf is calling on the children’s literature community to assess and change traditional practices that marginalize the work of Black children’s literature creatives. The organization has amplified the voices of nearly 400 children’s book authors and illustrators since its inception [ Read the full article… ]
KidLit Rally 4 Black Lives: Anti-Racist Resources for Children, Families, and Educators
“We who believe in freedom cannot rest.” -Ella Baker Thank you so much to all who joined us for the KidLit Rally 4 Black Lives, created and coordinated by Kwame Alexander, Jacqueline Woodson, and Jason Reynolds. Please share your reflections on social media with the hashtag #KidLit4BlackLives. The Rally recording is currently available on our [ Read the full article… ]
BBS Proudly Supports Everywhere Book Fest
Tomorrow, the power of collaboration will manifest itself in Everywhere Book Fest, a multi-cultural virtual book fest put together by authors: Ellen Oh, Melanie Conklin and Christina Soontornvat. The virtual fest came together, over a 45-day period, in answer to the loss of festivals due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Though created to fill the void [ Read the full article… ]
So, what DO y’all want?
Some days I feel like the old school griot of The Brown Bookshelf whose only job is to remind folks of the origins. You know? I’m here to remind folks where we started and compare it to where we’ve come. So, in that spirit, I got to thinking that maybe behind-the-scenes publishing is saying of [ Read the full article… ]
Voices of Change: Youth Speak
Untitled -by A, 13 Strove through strife A motto for Black children Blackness is excellence We are not too dark to be noticed It is not a reason for abuse Blackness is beauty Community Magic Love Hardships Strength. They tried to shape our hands To fit only chains We made a fist. To show love [ Read the full article… ]
Reflections: The Tiny Bigness of Ten Years
Do you know what can happen over a span of 10 years? Let me help you… Personally, my oldest daughter has grown from a thirteen-year-old into a young woman with a college degree and a full time job (my pockets cry amen). My youngest has gone from a toddler to a middle-schooler with aspirations to [ Read the full article… ]
Where Do We Go From Here?
Here at the Brown Bookshelf, we’ve spoken often and long on the issues and ideas expressed in the Open Declaration. We do this work to lift up our young readers and show them how they can survive, thrive, and soar in this world. For many of us, the way forward might be clear, for others, [ Read the full article… ]