The Importance of Supporting Black Authors
In June 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement took the world by storm, following the horrifying murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police. Though systemic racism in America is nothing new, it was this moment that changed the world forever — opening the eyes of millions worldwide and drawing their attention to the gross injustices that people of color face on a daily basis.
One year later, we are still feeling the ripple effects of this moment in history and the strides to amplify black voices have become more of a priority than ever before, especially in the media. Better late than never, I suppose? From increased POC roles in movies/TV to more visible diversity in fashion campaigns, there are many ways in which the media is pursuing racial equality and giving people of color the platforms they have always deserved.
The Importance of Supporting Black Authors
One night when I was scrolling through IG, I came across a really interesting post and challenge by one of my fav content creators @thevitamindproject. She was speaking to the fact that there have been so many books released in the past year about race and diversity, but not all of them by authors of color. It got me thinking about how important it is for media such as books to have proper POC representation when it’s not always clear at a glance.
You might be thinking, “Why is this important?”, and the answer is simple: it's important for people of color to tell their own stories in their own voices and it’s also important the POC directly benefit from their likeness and image. The story of a black boy, how he lives and experiences life, is best told by said boy. So often our context of POC literature is dictated by historical events that so many white people feel disconnected from.
Sharing stories from the lens of POC even in a children's book helps connect the dots on the shared experiences as well as the lived experiences, which draws us in and closer to POC’s lived experiences. The book, Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena, shows an excellent example of this. Sharing the common thread of a trip to church with grandma while shining light on the inequities experienced through the journey of a bus ride.
I started researching ways that I could find books by authors of color, especially ones that I could share with my kids, and I was so happy when I came across Bookish by Nikki Chanel! Bookish is a children's book review series where Nikki and her toddler rate, review, and recommend children's books. She created Bookish specifically to introduce her toddler to book characters that were diverse while also bonding over a shared interest.
This is such a great platform for parents like me to find the most entertaining, fun to read, diverse books and to highlight authors and illustrators of color with my kids. I loved their tips so much that I wanted to share her tips with you all!
Photo from @kidbookish
Here are her Top 10 Children's Books by Authors of Color for you to read with your kids.
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena (Personal Favorite)
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Hubbard
I hope you find this list useful in your pursuit to support more authors and illustrators of color! Please check out Bookish — I know you’ll be happy you did. Amplifying black voices is so important and it’s never too early to introduce your children to this important representation, all while having a bonding experience.
What are some of your favorite POC creators? From musicians to artists to content creators, I’m always open to learning about amazing new black talent to support on my platforms and financially. Leave your suggestions in the comment below!
#BLACKLIVESMATTER #AMPLIFYBLACKVOICES