I had a wonderful time at the Kwanzaa Festival at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) in Fort Lauderdale on yesterday. It was my first time selling and signing this book at an event. Sales were swift and I am grateful for every one!
Perhaps my favorite part of the day was interacting with children as they wandered, sometimes alone, sometimes with their parents, over to my table. I introduced myself, shook their little hands, and asked them about their reading habits. Do you like to read? One thing about children: they are remarkably honest. Even if they couldn’t say it, their faces told the truth. Reading?….well….let’s just say it wasn’t at the top of everyone’s list. Many of the children, however, confessed they liked to read. Some preferred fantasy and science fiction. Many boys told me that they like to read non-fiction on subjects like dinosaurs and robotics. Some children were shy and wouldn’t talk to me at all, clinging to the legs of their parents. But there were so many different little personalities. It was a real treat to get to interact with children other than my own and those in my neighborhood.
Beyond that, I was very encouraged by the parents what I met. The fact that they were in the library with their children said volumes about them. To a person, they were all invested in the success of their children and know that a love of reading is the foundation of their children’s future success. More than a few shared my frustration at being able to find diverse literature for young black boys, echoing the sentiment that led me to write Junebug and the Gumbo Garden. By the end of the day, I found myself even more convinced for the need of a product like mine. Literature for black boys may not be the answer to the many issues facing black men in America, but I do see it as a useful and critical tool to inspire a love of reading a learning among this population. We’ve got work to do!