Cultural Curriculum Chat with Jebeh Edmunds

Season 6 Episode #21 Why Supporting Black Authors Matter

• Jebeh Edmunds • Season 6 • Episode 21

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Ever wondered why it's crucial to champion Black authors in today's literary world? Join me, Jebeh Edmunds, as I unpack the pressing need for diverse voices and introduce you to some of my absolute favorites. This episode is a treasure trove of book recommendations that tackle racial and social justice head-on, featuring the compelling narratives of Angie Thomas and Nick Stone, whose works are essential for any high school curriculum focused on social equity. Trust me, these books are more than just stories—they're powerful tools for understanding the multifaceted human experience and advocating for a more inclusive literary landscape.

But that's not all; I'm diving into the transformative works of Ibram X. Kendi, whose writings provide actionable steps for dismantling racism in everyday life. From "How to Be an Antiracist" to "400 Souls," and even "Stamped: Anti-Racism and You" for young readers, Kendi's books are both research-driven and deeply passionate. Plus, I share a personal classroom favorite, Jacqueline Woodson's "Brown Girl Dreaming," a poetic exploration of Black childhood. Whether you're looking to enrich your own bookshelf or encourage community learning, this episode is your guide to amplifying the diverse voices that are shaping our literary world.

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Speaker 1:

Hey, hey, welcome to the Cultural Curriculum Chat Podcast. I'm your host, jeba Edmonds, and today we are looking into an essential topic right now Black authors that you should support right now. I had a previous episode, season six, episode 19,. That talked about my favorite Black American women authors that were guests on my show, and for this episode, we're taking a little twist of authors that I want to continue to share their work and amplify their diverse voices and experiences as well. So grab your notebooks, because I have some phenomenal recommendations for you today. And no, I was not paid. This is not a branding episode, it's just a fangirl episode.

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Okay, so let's get to it. So the reason why you might be asking, jeb, why should we continue to support Black authors, and why that matters the publishing industry has historically underrepresented Black authors. And why that matters the publishing industry has historically underrepresented Black authors. Okay, so their stories are essential to understanding the full scope of human experiences. All right, so by supporting our Black authors, we contribute to a more inclusive literary world. You know, we need to get those stories and give them the recognition that they deserve. So, when you do purchase these books, leave a review, share their work, you know, help you help them sustain their voices in this industry Some really cool must-read alouds right now that you should have, and, trust me, I have a bunch of these on the shelves in my home library.

Speaker 1:

I've got buckets full of them, not buckets, baskets full of them. You know I always go to the container store and get my favorite basket for more books, and, yes, I love being rich in literary work, and so these are some new titles maybe new to you and some classics as well, but I really want you to get these books, read them, review them, share them out loud, share them with the neighbor. You know, I've seen so many of these free libraries in our neighborhood, around our community, and I think these books should also be included in those free neighborhood libraries. You know that look like birdhouses, you know, at the end of people's driveways. Put these in your free libraries as well. So, without further ado because you know me, I like to talk let's get started with some of these amazing Black authors that you should be reading today.

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Angie Thomas's book the Hate U Give. She has a powerful, powerful young adult novel that tackles racial injustice, identity and activism. So go check out her book. It's also in my basket, ready for me to read Nick Stone's Dear Martin. Oh, that was such a good book. It also talks about race, privilege and social justice. High school teachers, general, ed and AP, those two books should be in your curriculum, especially when we're talking about social justice in this day and age, this era where we're at right now.

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I want you to get how to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi. He is a expert of race and class of our time, a prolific writer. The book how to Be an Antiracist is so essential. It gives you the tools, reflective practice on how you can actively dismantle racism in your daily life. He's got several books 400 Souls that he co-wrote with Keisha and Blaine. He's got one for young readers, stamped Anti-Racism and you, that is, for younger readers, that he co-wrote with Jason Reynolds, another prolific author in this space. And Anti-Racist Baby, illustrated by Ashley. Baby, illustrated by Ashley Another great book for our young readers to read.

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And again, these books are digestible in the sense of vocabulary, to understand, also very research-based, driven as well as heart-based driven as well, and passionate. So continue to get all of his books on your shelves and read it to your families. When people in the community ask me, jebbe, what do I do? I'm stuck. He is the name I always say Once you read his books then we can have a conversation. But that is the book I really want you to start with Jacqueline Woodson. I had her books on my shelves in my classroom when I was teaching and one of my favorite favorite poetry books that she has ever written Brown Girl Dreaming. Oh, it is so, so good. It talks about the Black childhood experience and the life in poetic form. So many of my students read her book when we did independent reading for our poetry unit and oh, a lot of great discussions that I had with my students on that book. So definitely get her book Now.

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I am a huge fan of African mythology and historical African fiction and I love this book. She Would Be King by Weyetu Moore, a Liberian author, and it talks about these amazing characters that share this uncommon bond. This young girl, bessa, she exiled from this West African village of Lai, and something happens to her, but she survives. I don't want to give away too much. And then there's another person that is a slave from Jamaica that comes back, and another person is a child of a white British colonizer and it just there's so many nuances and it just it's so edge of your seat. It's action packed, but it's just amazing and powerful that this woman possesses Like, yes, she would be king and how she got that name. I just love that style of writing. She also has another book that I need to get the Dragons, the Giant, the Women and that book came out in 2020, but huge fan of her work. And, if you like Tomi Adeyemi's book, children of Blood and Bone, emmy's book, children of Blood and Bone another action-packed African mythology book you're gonna love. We had two more. She Would Be King as well. So two phenomenal authors.

Speaker 1:

If you want to really dive deep into the systems in our criminal justice system, the books that I really want you to find is the New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. She explores how the US criminal justice system perpetuates racial discrimination through mass incarceration, how it is done effectively by creating a racial caste system that disproportionately targets Black communities Again, another great read. Targets Black communities Again, another great read if you really want to learn more about the creation of the criminal justice system and how negatively it has impacted our Black communities and continues to do so. So that is a wonderful book to start that process of learning how the Word is Passed by Clint Smith. It talks about the legacy of slavery in America. By visiting these historical sites he talks in depth about how the past continues to shape our nation's collective memory and identity of the dehumanization practice of slavery. Those two historical context books are the books I want you to get the New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and how the Word is Passed by Clint Smith. I've been listening to how the word is passed on Audible and every chapter really makes you pause and have all the feels but you get through it and it really does answer a lot of those questions that you might be having about the history of slavery and why the talk of reparations is such a taboo subject and why people are still pushing back on that practice of having that truth and reconciliation and reparation part of the conversation.

Speaker 1:

If you are wondering, I will have a list of these book titles and authors and where you can find their work in the show notes. Another reason in honor of Black History Month you might be wondering and beyond, because I always say you can continue to do Black History Month practice and heritage and celebration every day of the year, it doesn't have to be necessarily specifically in February. We always say February is for everybody to learn about Black History Month, and why we have it is to show that it is important to value the contributions that African Americans have in our country and in order to continue those contributions and support those contributions, you can do that by supporting Black authors. There are a lot of independent authors out there that would love for you to purchase their book and share their work and their knowledge with others. So definitely look at my reading list that I have in the show notes and, of course, buy those books, get those books from the library, support your local library. I'm a huge proponent of that as well.

Speaker 1:

You can also engage with them on their social media platform.

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Attend their events.

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Go to their book signing. Go to those pop-up shops where you know there's going to be fellow authors in their mix. Support them by putting their names in the ears of your conference organizers. If there's a teacher conference and you read their book, mention their name to the organizer. Have them come out and share their work with your other fellow colleagues. So there's a lot of really good things we can do in order to support our Black authors and, for me, sharing their work on this platform really is a part that I am so proud to do and, again, I always continue to purchase their work.

Speaker 1:

It's not me just promoting their work, I also have their work as well. So I'm always walking the walk, not just talking the talk. You see what I did there? Yeah, you know. So thank you again so much for listening to this episode. I want you to share in the comments. You know who's your favorite Black author? I'd love to hear from you. Reach out on our social media platform, at Culturally Jebe on Instagram. Thanks again for tuning into the Cultural Curriculum Chat podcast and don't forget to subscribe, share and leave a review. If you put your name on that review, I'll give you a shout out for the next episode coming up so we can continue to learn and grow and amplify our diverse voices. Thanks again, and I'll talk to you here same time next week. Bye-bye.