WEBVTT - Little Literature Lessons 0:00:01.440 --> 0:00:04.280 On Theme is a production of iHeartRadio and fair Weather 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:12.160 Friends Media. 0:00:12.600 --> 0:00:26.600 You are from the time we are born. Stories surround us, 0:00:26.840 --> 0:00:30.720 whispering wisdom, sharing histories, and planting the seeds of who 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:34.680 we will become. For generations, black writers have used the 0:00:34.720 --> 0:00:37.960 pages of children's literature as a canvas, weaving in the 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:41.240 rich tapestries of our culture, our struggles, and our. 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:47.120 Triumphs outside or inside, night or day. What's imagination? We 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:51.160 all play sounds on to a friends or on our own. 0:00:51.720 --> 0:00:54.080 Everyone is welcome, We all belonged. 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:57.959 She was born a dreamer, a dare, a maker of. 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:00.440 Her own way, passing down our stories into traditions to 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:03.800 the next generation, ensuring the lessons that guided us continue 0:01:03.840 --> 0:01:07.200 to light the way. I'm Katie and I'm Eves. In 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:11.400 today's episode, Little Literature Lessons, we're exploring how black authors 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:21.040 passed down traditions and lessons through the pages of children's books. 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:26.920 Earlier this year, we lost faith Ringgold, the celebrated artist 0:01:27.080 --> 0:01:27.600 and author. 0:01:28.040 --> 0:01:30.640 She was also one of the most influential voices in 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:34.280 using kids books to pass down traditions. She dedicated a 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:37.400 lot of her career to uplifting the Black American experience 0:01:37.640 --> 0:01:39.320 through vibrant storytelling. 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:43.160 In her award winning nineteen ninety one book, Tarbeach, Ringo 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:45.880 transports readers to the rooftop of a Harlem home during 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:49.680 the Depression era. Through the eyes of young Cassie Louise Lightfoot, 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:53.240 she paints a vivid picture a family, community, and joy 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:54.720 despite the difficulties. 0:01:57.040 --> 0:02:01.320 I can fly. That means I am free to go 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:05.040 wherever I want for the rest of my life. 0:02:05.800 --> 0:02:10.280 Cassie dreams of freedom, of possibility despite limitations. Those dreams 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:13.480 echo the aspirations Faith Ringgold's own mother instilled in her 0:02:13.560 --> 0:02:16.960 as a child. In this way, Tarbag becomes a multi 0:02:17.040 --> 0:02:21.119 layered passing of the torch from the author's ancestors to her, 0:02:21.600 --> 0:02:24.000 and then from Faith Ringgold to the many generations of 0:02:24.080 --> 0:02:26.240 children who read her words, and. 0:02:26.200 --> 0:02:28.600 Some of those children grew up to become children's books 0:02:28.639 --> 0:02:32.520 authors themselves. After the break, we're chatting with Dalisha Mitchell 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:34.079 of Little Black Booknook. 0:02:34.600 --> 0:02:41.040 I am Dalisha Mitchell. I'm a writer, author my debut 0:02:41.160 --> 0:02:44.680 board book How We Play. If you are on Instagram, 0:02:44.760 --> 0:02:46.960 you've seen me as Little Black Booknook. But I also 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:50.760 do like book reviews for PBS kids, so lots of 0:02:50.840 --> 0:02:53.239 titles stay with us. 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:05.680 Well, welcome, Thank you for joining us in studio, Thanks 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:09.160 for having me. Are there any standout books from your 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:12.720 childhood that like really taught you a lesson and it 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:13.920 really ingrained in you. 0:03:15.000 --> 0:03:18.280 So my parents were really intentional about me reading books 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:22.160 with black characters, which I appreciate, but also back then, 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:25.480 I feel like a lot of the books were racially charged. 0:03:25.800 --> 0:03:30.840 So I'm sure like y'all probably read What was It? Ror? 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:34.680 What Is It? Ror? Thunder Here, Minecraft, thunder Here. Yeah, 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:37.200 I feel like everybody read that book. But I remember 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:41.240 reading books like Honey I Love and other Poems and 0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:44.880 being so happy because they were just like relatable and fun, 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:48.120 like hanging out with your cousins and summer days with popsicles, 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:51.280 and so Honey I Love and Other Poems always stands out, 0:03:51.320 --> 0:03:53.960 like I still have a copy to this day. I 0:03:54.080 --> 0:03:57.040 used to like memorize it or recite them, and it 0:03:57.120 --> 0:03:59.360 also was like written and like to me a little 0:03:59.360 --> 0:04:01.720 bit of a sass seaway. So I remember like reading 0:04:01.760 --> 0:04:04.440 them and swaying my hips and rolling my neck a 0:04:04.480 --> 0:04:07.720 little bit. So I really liked that book in particular. 0:04:08.680 --> 0:04:12.400 But Eloise Screenfield, Yeah, Louise Screenfield. Outside of that, I 0:04:12.480 --> 0:04:15.640 was all about like Babysitters Club and was a Bailey 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:18.479 Science Kids Club. A lot of those kind of books 0:04:18.520 --> 0:04:20.640 stood out to me back then, so those were my 0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:25.039 probably favorites, and animals and goose Bumps, and I really 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:29.200 loved scary books, so Goosebumps was like top tier back then. 0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:32.080 So when you say they resonated with you back then, 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:34.200 what do you mean by that. I'm trying to step 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:36.560 into the shoes of a child, Like when I think 0:04:36.600 --> 0:04:38.760 of what resonates with me now, understand because I have 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:41.560 certain conditioning that's come up since then. And also, like 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:44.800 I know, I'm interested in certain things in society, and 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:47.240 that's why they resonate with me. When you were a child, 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:49.840 if you could put yourself back in those shoes, what 0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:52.280 was it about the works that made you like, oh, 0:04:52.360 --> 0:04:53.680 this feels right right. 0:04:54.200 --> 0:04:56.840 I grew up in a really small rural town, so 0:04:57.000 --> 0:05:01.120 anytimes I could find books that had experiences that were 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:03.640 outside of that, I loved it because like I didn't know, 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:05.760 like what a city block was, I didn't have any 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:08.520 idea about any of those sorts of things. So for me, 0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:11.400 I really liked finding books that kind of took me 0:05:12.040 --> 0:05:15.440 out of my small community and put me into the world. 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:18.960 So I also enjoyed books that brought me closer to 0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:22.159 my family, which was a big, big thing for me. 0:05:22.320 --> 0:05:24.200 So I think that's why when I talk about like Honey, 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:26.920 I love a lot of it talked about like summer, 0:05:27.000 --> 0:05:32.920 spending time together with cousins, enjoying food together, playing games together, 0:05:33.160 --> 0:05:36.000 all those sorts of things. So that's something that stood 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:39.719 out to me. I also have always loved Halloween. That 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:41.680 was something big in my family. We dress up, go 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:45.000 trick or treating together. So I always seeked out kind 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:48.520 of like those horror scary stories, which there weren't a 0:05:48.520 --> 0:05:50.960 lot to offer during that time. I feel like for 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:53.640 kids anyway, it was always a little too much for 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:56.080 my age range at that time. But I always seek 0:05:56.160 --> 0:05:59.320 to find some of those more scary spooky stories outside 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:00.880 of those, or about family. 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:04.560 Yeah, I love children's books that talk about like family 0:06:04.600 --> 0:06:07.159 in summertime because then, like you as a kid, you're like, 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:10.599 let's emulate this, like let's have this barbecue. Like you 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:12.600 ain't helping with the barbue at all, but you just 0:06:12.640 --> 0:06:14.880 like we need to just delegate. Hey, let me get 0:06:14.880 --> 0:06:16.919 this jump rope. We gonna do some double Dutch. She 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:19.880 make some ice cream and it's gonna be ay. 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:21.400 It's Mary Matt. 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:22.040 Yeah. 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:24.560 Did you have a book from your childhood that really 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:28.000 taught you a lesson or had that passed down tradition vibe. 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:30.640 I remember reading and when my mom got for me 0:06:30.760 --> 0:06:35.920 the book but not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. She 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:37.680 I think she might have gotten it from the library 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:40.640 for me, and I just remember, you know, thinking about it, 0:06:40.680 --> 0:06:43.039 putting myself back in that era, like I got to 0:06:43.080 --> 0:06:45.000 travel backward in time. I got to go on this 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:47.120 road trip. Also at the same time, I got to 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:49.640 learn a little bit more about blackness. That is one 0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:52.279 book that stands out for me from my childhood. Before that, 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:54.560 I remember a lot of those. I don't remember what 0:06:54.600 --> 0:06:56.440 they were called, but each one of the books had 0:06:56.480 --> 0:06:59.640 a specific moral lesson in it. It was a whole 0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:03.720 series of books. It was there were heartback Yes, they 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:06.760 were skinny, and it was like cartoon. They weren't them 0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:07.240 in my house. 0:07:08.279 --> 0:07:11.880 I do because I was bad. I was bad. If 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:14.400 my parents said you need this whole set, and they 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:15.480 would read them every day. 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:15.440 And. 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:20.880 I would have to go dig through the garage. 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:23.400 They're probably in there somewhere still, but that's what I 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:25.640 remember from early on. They were really trying to they 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:27.480 were hitting heavy with the propaganda early on. 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:29.920 No, Yeah, it was like the titles will be like 0:07:30.320 --> 0:07:31.480 stop tattle telling. 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:35.400 Yes, I got straight to the point. Did it work 0:07:35.480 --> 0:07:36.880 for any of us? 0:07:36.920 --> 0:07:37.320 Not for me? 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:41.480 No, not really. They were fun. I don't know why 0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:42.880 they were fun to read, because I feel like I 0:07:42.960 --> 0:07:44.920 like reading them all the time. Yeah, but I didn't 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:45.520 get the message. 0:07:45.560 --> 0:07:47.960 I understood what they were trying to get at, but 0:07:48.000 --> 0:07:50.280 I was like, I'm still tattle a little bit. 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:51.520 It's a little too heavy. 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:53.080 And then back then we knew it. 0:07:53.760 --> 0:07:56.040 I feel like one for me that I remember like, 0:07:56.120 --> 0:07:58.120 oh yeah, like I'm getting something out of this was 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:01.280 the story of Ruby Bridges. I was reading that when 0:08:01.480 --> 0:08:05.280 we lived in Kansas, which is historically a very white place, 0:08:05.800 --> 0:08:08.080 and I wasn't like the only black kid around, but 0:08:08.240 --> 0:08:12.120 you know, one of very few. And I just remember 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:16.320 thinking like, am Igraphy Bridges not are you? And is like, 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:21.080 you know, my mom's from Jacksonssissippi, So like she didn't 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:26.560 shy away from talking about like racism or just like 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:28.920 the things like black people have gone through in this country, 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:31.920 even if I am seven years old, so like you're 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:34.480 gonna know about this. So I think that like really 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:39.040 shaped like my view of like society, like oh this 0:08:39.040 --> 0:08:42.000 this how day? Uh huh. You know, I know I 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:43.760 know which audio and I still have that in me, 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:50.280 So like I'm interested for you, d Alisha, as an author, 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:54.119 how do you navigate those topics like racism and injustice 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:58.160 or trauma in like an age appropriate way but also impactful. 0:08:58.520 --> 0:09:01.440 So I think it's kind of like one side of 0:09:01.480 --> 0:09:06.960 me as a black writer and creative. I enjoy finding 0:09:07.000 --> 0:09:09.439 and writing books that aren't about those topics, just because 0:09:09.480 --> 0:09:13.160 sometimes it's so much about that that sometimes when you 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:14.800 go to the library and you're looking for books that 0:09:14.840 --> 0:09:18.400 have black characters, all stories kind of have that arc. 0:09:18.480 --> 0:09:20.839 You know, you got the introduction of the protagonist and 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:24.199 a problem, and then but if all the black protagonists 0:09:24.240 --> 0:09:27.240 problems are racism, kids can start to feel kind of 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:30.319 like that's the only story we have to tell. So 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:33.840 I seek to write more and find books that focus 0:09:33.880 --> 0:09:37.320 more on stories of just black folks being black, like 0:09:37.520 --> 0:09:41.320 having cookouts, getting their hair braided. Watched a new book 0:09:41.320 --> 0:09:43.800 coming out that I can't wait to read books about 0:09:43.880 --> 0:09:47.280 bedtime bondings and wrapping your hair up at night. I'm 0:09:47.320 --> 0:09:51.120 looking for more fantasy for black kid lit too. I 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:55.880 think to approach topics on like racism or discrimination, I 0:09:55.920 --> 0:09:59.480 try to make it more of this is a everybody's problem, 0:09:59.600 --> 0:10:02.480 not of black problem. So how can we be more 0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:05.880 inclusive to one another? On what does that look like? 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:08.280 Because when you're thinking about kids that are like four 0:10:08.280 --> 0:10:11.840 and five, it's hard to get too deep because they 0:10:11.880 --> 0:10:14.560 don't even quite understand just yet. But just making sure 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:16.839 if you're at the playground and everybody's over here playing, 0:10:16.920 --> 0:10:19.280 is that one kid over there, invite them over to play? 0:10:19.920 --> 0:10:21.640 You know, if you see a kid fall down and 0:10:21.720 --> 0:10:23.520 hurt themselves by them over, if you see other kids 0:10:23.559 --> 0:10:25.920 making fun of this one kid who happens to not 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:28.520 look like everybody else or have a disability, how do 0:10:28.600 --> 0:10:31.120 we go about making sure that you know, they know 0:10:31.160 --> 0:10:34.160 we're not having that. So I think it can get 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.160 really heavy sometimes, but I think there's a way to 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:41.040 always make it focused on inclusion and not so much 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:45.679 on the outright racism and oppression. Especially when you talk 0:10:45.679 --> 0:10:48.520 about like zero to four age, it's really hard to 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:51.880 cover but I think all of them. Play is a 0:10:51.880 --> 0:10:54.640 powerful thing we talk about. I talk about play a lot, 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:58.600 so I think making sure that we focus on including others, 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:02.640 being kind and if someone isn't, making sure that you're 0:11:02.679 --> 0:11:04.400 that person that's going to stand up and make sure 0:11:04.440 --> 0:11:06.959 that you're inclusive of that person or just protecting them 0:11:06.960 --> 0:11:11.120 if needed. But I feel like sometimes kid lit, especially 0:11:11.160 --> 0:11:14.920 for black kids, can get really heavy on the a 0:11:14.960 --> 0:11:18.400 lot of books coming out that are all about somebody 0:11:18.440 --> 0:11:23.360 being discriminated against or being racist, or which are important stories. 0:11:23.360 --> 0:11:25.840 So I'm definitely not saying that those are definitely important stories, 0:11:25.880 --> 0:11:27.160 but I think we have to make sure that we 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:31.280 like balance out what black stories are about, because thankfully 0:11:31.320 --> 0:11:33.120 we're at a point where we get to tell our 0:11:33.160 --> 0:11:36.360 own stories and narratives and not have them told for us. 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:39.000 Yeah, run in the past. Can you talk about play? 0:11:39.640 --> 0:11:43.520 What lessons or values did you put in your book 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:44.440 that you wrote about play? 0:11:45.040 --> 0:11:47.720 I think for me is that like play looks different 0:11:47.760 --> 0:11:50.440 for every kid, every family. I think not for me 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:54.880 as a parent to even realizing how controlling adults can 0:11:54.920 --> 0:11:57.240 be about play, Like if you're too messy or don't 0:11:57.280 --> 0:11:59.680 be too loud, or that's not how you play the 0:11:59.720 --> 0:12:02.200 game when none of that matters to kids. I'm sure 0:12:02.280 --> 0:12:04.760 all of y'all remember like making up games and you're like, Okay, 0:12:04.760 --> 0:12:07.160 what's the rule? Well, no, if you get out two times, 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:08.679 then you got to be on this team and. 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:10.079 Changing in the middle of the game. 0:12:10.160 --> 0:12:11.920 In the middle of the game, we're like, oh no, 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:14.240 we always argue about what are the actual rules to 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:16.679 the game. So for me, when I think about, like 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:19.520 how I wrote my book about play and just watching 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:22.600 my son play, it's me as an adult giving up 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:25.120 the control and just letting him do his thing, and 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:27.800 even as a former teacher, just like letting them enjoy 0:12:27.840 --> 0:12:30.000 themselves and figure it out because that's part of how 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:32.640 they learn through play. It doesn't have to be by 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:34.760 the book or it doesn't have to look the same way. 0:12:34.840 --> 0:12:37.320 Some kids like to play by themselves in a corner 0:12:37.360 --> 0:12:40.320 and that's fine. Others might just want to do something relaxing. 0:12:40.440 --> 0:12:42.520 Other might want to jump off the top of a tree, 0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:45.000 swing across and jump off, which I'm sure we all 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:47.640 remember that too, swinging and jumping off of the swings. 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.400 So I think just respecting that kids know how to play, 0:12:50.440 --> 0:12:52.120 we don't have to teach them how to play. It 0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:54.720 is natural for them. They're going to figure it out, 0:12:55.040 --> 0:12:58.200 so just not you know, being controlling, letting kids play 0:12:58.280 --> 0:12:59.319 and enjoy themselves. 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:02.520 I think that it's been the same over time. You 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:06.080 talk about how much there is around, I guess trying 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:09.800 to teach children empathy around. That's why the racial oppression 0:13:09.840 --> 0:13:12.400 conversations come up so much. It's always about those. Is 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:15.559 it more like that in children's lit now than it 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:18.760 was before? Do you see a change in like maybe 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:22.400 a few decades ago, like how children's lit looked. Did 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:25.760 it focus on those types of stories as much then 0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:26.640 as it does now? 0:13:27.160 --> 0:13:30.080 As far as it comes to empathy and racism. I 0:13:30.160 --> 0:13:32.720 am grateful that I am starting to see more stories 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:36.840 where that's not the primary topic. So in the book, 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:39.280 there may be an instance where someone does something or 0:13:39.280 --> 0:13:42.080 says something that's inappropriate, but that's not the whole focus 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:44.360 of the book. When I think back to books like 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:46.320 when I was younger, compared to the books that I 0:13:46.360 --> 0:13:48.960 read to my son, there's a lot more and just 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:52.240 being kind and joyful and enjoying each other's company in 0:13:52.240 --> 0:13:56.760 general versus you know, here's a story about you know, 0:13:56.880 --> 0:13:59.560 a little black boy who wasn't allowed to participate in 0:13:59.600 --> 0:14:02.120 this activity and how that shaped his life and his 0:14:02.160 --> 0:14:04.080 family and so on. I feel like there were a 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:07.720 lot of those kind of moral stories of racism is 0:14:07.720 --> 0:14:10.319 wrong back then. Now I feel like they're starting to 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:14.400 kind of be mixed into just the black experience. Like, yes, 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:16.800 we've all in this room, I'm sure experience racism, but 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:19.880 that's not our story per se. Like there's so many 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:22.840 other things that we go through from day to day 0:14:23.000 --> 0:14:25.680 through time that we can talk about. So I would 0:14:25.680 --> 0:14:27.480 like to say that I see now that it's more 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:30.880 focused on empathy in general and just being more inclusive 0:14:30.920 --> 0:14:35.240 with others than the kind of story of black kid 0:14:35.360 --> 0:14:38.840 being discriminated again, treated poorly and that's the end of 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:41.280 the story basically, because then it kind of feels like 0:14:41.320 --> 0:14:43.560 that's all. That's the end of the story. We just 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:46.640 have to work through a racism. It's just, you know, 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:49.400 there's no way to work past it and through it. 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:54.920 As a children's books expert, I need your opinion on something. 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:58.640 I feel like there's been a lot of news about 0:14:58.680 --> 0:15:03.080 non black writers writing about black characters. 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:04.960 Yeah, and you. 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:08.520 Know, on one hand, people say, you know, it's just a 0:15:08.600 --> 0:15:10.760 character anyone can write about it, and then on the 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:14.240 other hand, people say like, hey, like you're not in 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:17.240 this community, like why are you? Like what are your 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:17.720 thoughts on this? 0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:20.920 So I've had lots of thoughts and conversations about this, 0:15:21.080 --> 0:15:24.280 and I think for me, it always boils down to 0:15:24.640 --> 0:15:31.440 why are you writing about a character that isn't representative 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:33.680 of your experience? 0:15:35.840 --> 0:15:36.120 Why? 0:15:36.440 --> 0:15:38.920 Like, what's the why behind that? Because at one point, 0:15:39.640 --> 0:15:41.800 a lot of books were coming out that have black characters, 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:43.560 which made a lot of us happy because we were 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:45.520 just happy to see black characters. But then when you 0:15:45.560 --> 0:15:47.560 would search the author's name, you know would be a 0:15:47.560 --> 0:15:55.160 white woman. And for me it becomes problematic because there 0:15:55.160 --> 0:15:57.840 are tons of black authors who want a shot, They 0:15:57.880 --> 0:16:02.240 wanted opportunity to write stories about people who have their experiences, 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:05.840 are able to tell those stories from a genuine place. 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:09.720 So when I see people who aren't from that background, 0:16:09.960 --> 0:16:13.120 it's always met with like suspicion, like, well, why did 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:16.000 you choose to make this character black? 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:17.800 Why do you think they're doing that? 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:23.560 Honestly, I think diversity became a really big thing, and 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:28.560 I think that they're able to use that opportunity to 0:16:28.600 --> 0:16:32.560 pull in an audience that they wouldn't necessarily be able 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:36.080 to pull in with another white book, per se. So 0:16:36.160 --> 0:16:38.560 if all the characters in the book are white, they 0:16:38.560 --> 0:16:41.280 may feel like, Okay, well, this will only reach this group. 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:45.240 Whereas if I add, you know, a black character, especially 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:47.640 a black main character. I think it is important to 0:16:47.800 --> 0:16:50.480 have diverse books. So as a black author, I don't 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:53.280 think my book should only include black characters. But if 0:16:53.280 --> 0:16:56.880 I'm talking about the main character and their experience, I 0:16:56.960 --> 0:16:58.840 just feel like it would be odd for me to 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:01.400 be like, Okay, this is going to be Billy, a 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:04.280 little white boy in Arkansas, because I have no you know, 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:08.880 no experie that right. So I think sometimes it's used 0:17:08.880 --> 0:17:12.679 as a way to promote diversity, but it feels a 0:17:12.720 --> 0:17:14.920 little bit like black face. 0:17:16.160 --> 0:17:19.679 So you're saying that it's from the publisher's perspective or 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:22.080 is that from the author's perspective when they're choosing to 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:22.800 write the story. 0:17:23.320 --> 0:17:24.600 I think it's a little bit of both. I mean, 0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:26.680 publishers want their books to sell, so I think when 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:31.040 it's popular to be diverse and have diverse characters, then 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:33.240 it's like, oh, well, what if we make this character 0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:36.920 black instead or Asian instead? But I feel like when 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:39.880 you're an author and you write a story, you know 0:17:40.160 --> 0:17:42.359 who that character is. I shouldn't be able to just 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:45.320 like swap out the race and it's the same story, 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:47.720 if that makes sense. Like, when you're writing a story, 0:17:47.800 --> 0:17:49.920 your character should be a person that looks a certain 0:17:49.920 --> 0:17:52.280 way and has certain experiences. I shouldn't just be able 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:55.119 to say, Okay, yesterday they were black. Oh no today, 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:58.000 let's make them Asian. Tomorrow, let's make them indigenous. Like 0:17:58.480 --> 0:18:04.120 it should show some real experiences and background and references 0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:07.360 to who that person is in their background. So yeah, 0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:11.720 should have more depth to them. But I think publishers 0:18:11.760 --> 0:18:15.880 and authors both kind of push that to sale books. Honestly, 0:18:15.920 --> 0:18:18.200 when it's I was gonna say, when it's on themes. 0:18:21.280 --> 0:18:23.840 Can we get you reading some of the lines from 0:18:23.840 --> 0:18:24.200 your book. 0:18:26.000 --> 0:18:32.080 It starts off outside or inside or today with imagination. 0:18:32.600 --> 0:18:37.800 We all play, sometimes with friends or on our own. 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:40.520 Everyone is welcome, we all. 0:18:40.400 --> 0:18:43.280 Belong, and that's my favorite part. 0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:48.160 We saw a stack, hide and seek, explore and observe, 0:18:48.640 --> 0:18:51.880 s and leap, We color and paint, cut and blue 0:18:52.240 --> 0:18:59.640 read a design something new. We we have and how 0:18:59.720 --> 0:19:01.760 we and how we play? 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:14.520 All right, So you know we're talking about children's books 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:20.040 passing down lessons and traditions, and as writers, you know 0:19:20.119 --> 0:19:22.399 that when a book comes out, it has a little, 0:19:22.680 --> 0:19:28.639 you know, description. So your task, I am going to 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:32.040 give you three words. With those three words, you're going 0:19:32.119 --> 0:19:35.680 to come up with a description for a children's book 0:19:36.040 --> 0:19:40.480 that has a lesson or is passing down some tradition. 0:19:40.880 --> 0:19:44.200 You must use those three words. The review or the 0:19:44.240 --> 0:19:47.199 description only about a paragraph, but you got to sell it. 0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:50.800 Which one is going to become a bestseller? Dahalisha your 0:19:50.960 --> 0:19:59.520 set of words, hula hoop Twins Moving, Eves your words 0:20:00.640 --> 0:20:05.320 belly tomorrow and milk. 0:20:06.000 --> 0:20:10.080 Milk that's anti black, Okay. 0:20:10.960 --> 0:20:14.480 And we will hear from Eve's and Dahlicia after this 0:20:14.560 --> 0:20:28.440 break and we're back. Dalicia, can you remind us of 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:30.560 your words? 0:20:31.440 --> 0:20:38.840 Hula hoop Twins Moving. Ellie and Elise are eager for 0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:42.679 the fifth grade talent showcase. After months of practice, they 0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:47.760 finally perfected their choreography and hula hoop twirls. That is 0:20:48.040 --> 0:20:51.240 until Mom gets the big news she's been waiting for 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:56.600 a promotion that causes them to move across states to 0:20:56.760 --> 0:20:57.880 the Big Apple. 0:21:07.880 --> 0:21:12.320 I'm trying to get there, five minutes is not enough, Katie, 0:21:14.440 --> 0:21:15.480 I was with you. 0:21:15.480 --> 0:21:19.639 Too, Okay, Okay, I'm gonna just it's not going to 0:21:19.680 --> 0:21:22.399 be in the same excitement. But the lesson is a 0:21:22.480 --> 0:21:25.760 lesson of resilience. You know, they're going to figure out 0:21:26.080 --> 0:21:29.200 how they can still be a part of this fifth 0:21:29.240 --> 0:21:39.800 grade talent showcase by working with their friends. Okay, I'll 0:21:39.800 --> 0:21:43.920 finish up. It's resilience though, that's the moral. Okay, we're 0:21:43.960 --> 0:21:48.240 not there yet. Okay, that's it's resilience, right, stay staying 0:21:48.280 --> 0:21:51.240 rooted in the community while also, you know, having Maybe 0:21:51.280 --> 0:21:55.119 they don't the next city over and they have to 0:21:55.160 --> 0:21:56.000 find a way back. 0:21:56.920 --> 0:21:58.600 Okay, get some editing in. 0:21:58.720 --> 0:21:59.439 I like it. 0:22:00.960 --> 0:22:03.520 I'm there with you. Okay, ease remind us of your word. 0:22:04.200 --> 0:22:08.159 Belly, Tomorrow and Milk. Layla wakes up in the morning. 0:22:08.880 --> 0:22:11.880 The sun shines through the window. It's a beautiful day. 0:22:12.520 --> 0:22:15.199