I have lived in Harlem since 2007 and raised my 2 youngest children here, building a community with my neighbors and friends. I was always seeking diversity and working to create inclusive experiences that everyone would enjoy. Even living in Harlem, it takes effort to ensure that the experiences that we build, the materials we consume, the music that we hear - the books that we read (!!!) - that these offer the diversity of experiences among us.
Professionally I’ve run nonprofit programs for many years – locally, city-wide and nationally – all with the thread of equity and greater representation for those who are often excluded or passed over.
In 2020 as I started a racial equity consulting practice, I also started Made for Me Books. My children were home and surrounded by books - diverse books with a variety of stories. I often thought about all the children who don't have many books at home, let alone, 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! These Black and brown stories 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 stories and histories into everyone's hands.