The first time I read a book with Indian characters in it, I was 20.  My best friend in college gave me "Sister of My Heart" by Chitra Divakaruni. The names of the characters, the familial references, the food - I felt connected to this book in a way I had never felt before. Even though I was born and raised in America, that book felt like home.

As an older adult, I came to live in Harlem in 2007 and this has been our home since. I raised my 2 youngest here and spent much of my time looking for books at the library, always looking for books with characters and stories from the Black diaspora; that shared stories with Black and brown characters, and those of the global majority.

Over my career, I’ve run nonprofit programs – city-wide and nationally – all with the thread of equity and greater representation for those who are often excluded or passed over.  

I often thought about all the children who don't have many books at home.  Our libraries were closed and I know many kids do not have access to what my children do - and often those with books at home really do not have a truly diverse collection.

I started by collecting used books, but too many people did not have enough diversity in what they owned -- and many did not want to let go of those books! They were precious to them.  And while more diversity in publishing is happening, we still have a long way to go AND we are also dealing with book bans that ultimately impact the entire industry. It will take continued and intentional effort to get more fully representative books into our communities and homes - accessibly and affordably. 

Now, I purchase new books and sometimes, I'll include VERY gently read books.  I use the majority of my nonprofit budget to purchase and distribute diverse new books into my community - so that everyone has more diversity in what they read.