Thank you so much for everyone that has tuned into to our many author conversations in 2021! We have been overjoyed with the support we've received from well-established authors, authors debuting for the first time and everything in between. There is so much great content that gets lost in the small sections or categories in big chain bookstores. Our goal is to continue to amplify the voices of BIPOC characters in any way we can.
We'll see you in 2022 with many more amazing authors. In the meantime, this is your chance to play or replay some of the conversations we've had across this year.
For our last author conversation for 2021, we wanted to bring back author Danielle Fairbairn-Bland. We spoke with Danielle about her amazing activity book, "The Adventures of Zora and the Magical Mask." Now, she is back with "Zaire and Kenya's Kwanzaa Adventure" just in time for the holidays. Danielle spoke about celebrating Kwanzaa as a young child with her family and wanting to instill these principles into young people in a fun and creative way.
Danielle (Duh-Neil) Fairbairn-Bland is a children’s diversity author, licensed mental health therapist, and speaker dedicated to creating literary art that reflects the dynamic experiences of people of the African Diaspora. Danielle earned a Master of Social Work degree and has completed additional certifications in Anger Management, Grief & Loss, Family Empowerment, and Leadership. As a speaker, Danielle facilitates conversations to spread mental health awareness, shatter stigma and eliminate mental health disparities. Through children’s books and journals, she promotes the value of family, community, culture and wellness. Danielle is determined to introduce images and stories to heal and restore lives.
Nikki Grimes does not consider herself a bona fide storyteller, but, as she told an audience at the Library of Congress, she is happy to own the title Poet. Born and raised in New York City, Nikki began composing verse at the age of six and has been writing ever since that time.
A bestselling author and a prolific artist, Nikki has written many award-winning books for children and young adults including the Coretta Scott King Award winner Bronx Masquerade; the Coretta Scott King Author Honor books Jazmin's Notebook, Talkin' About Bessie, Dark Sons, The Road to Paris, and Words with Wings; Horn Book Fanfare for Talkin' About Bessie; ALA Notable books What is Goodbye? and Words with Wings; the popular Dyamonde Daniel chapter book series, and numerous picture books and novels including The New York Times bestseller Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope and, most recently, Garvey's Choice and One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance.
Jasmine Crowe is a social entrepreneur and the founder of Goodr, a startup based in Atlanta, Georgia that is leveraging technology to combat hunger and food waste.
Goodr collects surplus food from organizations like Turner Broadcasting Systems, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and others, and redirects that food to nonprofits who distribute the food to people experiencing food insecurity. The company also works directly with cities and governments to purchase quality food for certain communities.
