Two Novels of Bad Friendships
How can friendship go bad? Two novels, one MG and one YA, highlight specific communities but with universal themes.
The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Thoughts on the House passage of a draconian repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and on withdrawing rights people have enjoyed and come to take for granted.
The Literature of Witness
The importance of #ownvoices authors and their literature of witness for a new generation of African-American teens as we confront a nation in crisis.
How Artists Resist: A Report on the Panel, “Film and Media in a Time of Repression”
Advice from filmmakers, writers, and critics on resisting repression, building bridges with others, and moral and creative survival.
Original Sin
This is not what I wanted to return home to -- the images of two African-American men gunned down by white police officers in as many days. We protest the…
Announcing the 2016 We Are the People Summer Reading List
Announcing the 2016 We Are the People Summer Reading List, featuring outstanding books for children and teens by authors and artists of color.
Remembering Hurricane Katrina: What Went Missing and What Got Found
For the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a review of Fatima Shaik's new collection of short stories, What Went Missing and What Got Found.
On Flags and Diverse Books: How We Can Make a Difference
The removal of the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds in South Carolina and an open letter to Jet Blue underscore the power of activism.
The “I Am Here” Reading and Exhibition and the Brooklyn Blossoms Book Club
A report on a panel of the Brooklyn Blossoms Book Club, featuring four award-winning black women authors and a photo exhibit celebrating black girls and women.
What Part of “Black Lives Matter” Don’t You Understand?
Police killings of unarmed black men is a human rights issue in a country in which some people live in democracy and others in a police state.