Stepping Up

This week's Google alerts brought to my attention two instances where others are stepping up to highlight books featuring diversity to children. While many of the articles I've been alerted to often criticize the lack of diversity amongst the books that are published, today's post features one organization and one individual promoting the materials that are available in two unique ways. 

The first alert shares news of a fresh spin on the original concept of Little Free Libraries. Little Free Libraries are most widely known for their grassroots endeauvour of using cute wooden houses where individuals stock and access free books.The new initiative, called Read in Color, was born in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. The goal of Read in Color is to distribute books featuring diverse perspectives on a wide range of topics such as racism and social injustice and celebrate BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) and LGTBQ literature. The program will begin in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota and expand nationwide throughout the year. 

Little Free Library steward and New York high school counselor Sarah Kamya states, "I truly believe that we have to teach about race and differences and a lot of that starts at home, and through books. I also find it important for books to represent diverse characters because if you can't see it, you can't be it." Kamya built upon the original concept of the Little Free Library to launch Little Free Diverse Libraries in hopes of fostering opportunities for children and youth to engage in conversations about race related issues in our country. 

The next alert features an 11-year-old girl using her personal Instagram account to showcase, promote, and celebrate books with black characters. Sixth graders Ainara Alleyne shares that her IG page, Ainara's Bookshelf, posts reviews, recommendations, and interviews with authors to share diverse stories with diverse readers. Ainara states, "I would never be able to see a Black girl doing something really cool, being an astronaut or something like that. And the only time I would ever see Black people in books in the library would be Black History Month, and it would be all about slavery... or hurtful stereotypes."

She goes on to state, "I wanted kids to actually be able to see themselves in books and believe that they can do amazing things, too." For her efforts, Ainara was recently presented with a "Women Who Rock Award," which recognizes Black women and girls for their leadership.

Often, I think, many of us have such a hard time getting an initiative off the ground because it seems so big and overwhelming. Both of these stories show that even a small idea can have a profound impact.