By Joseph Williams, Word In Black For years, as test scores fell and teachers fretted, educators and analysts rang the alarm: the U.S. is facing a grade-school reading crisis. If left unaddressed, they say, Black children could fall even further behind. Now, college professors are sounding an alarm of their own. They say college students […]
Category: Books
Posted in#Education
Another downside of book bans: They stunt reading ability
By Joseph WilliamsWord In Black For years, as test scores fell and teachers fretted, educators and analysts rang the alarm: the U.S. is facing a grade-school reading crisis. If left unaddressed, they say, Black children could fall even further behind. Now, college professors are sounding an alarm of their own. They say college students are […]
Posted inBooks
A Black author takes a new look at Georgia’s White founder and his failed attempt to ban slavery
By Russ Bynum, The Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Michael Thurmond thought he was reading familiar history at the burial place of Georgia’s colonial founder. Then a single sentence on a marble plaque extolling the accomplishments of James Edward Oglethorpe left him stunned speechless. Within a lengthy tribute to the Englishman who died in […]
Posted inBooks
Five books by Black women to put on your gift list
By Liz Courquet-Lesaulnier, Word In Black The holiday season is officially here, which means it’s time to make gift lists and start shopping for friends and family. But listen, do folks really need another scented candle, pair of socks, or pricey electronic gadget? Perhaps it’s time to consider a more radical act of giving: books […]
Posted inWord In Black
The library club helping teens reflect, read and heal
By Joseph Williams, Word in Black It’s easy to imagine that, for a Black teenager navigating a turbulent life — in juvenile detention, say, or attending a school for students with discipline, learning or behavior issues — racial healing might be the next to last thing on their mind. It’s easier still to think that […]
Posted inBooks
PRESS ROOM: Scholastic to launch ‘The Black Bookselling Conference: Connect. Build. Elevate.”
By Black PR Wire (Black PR Wire) — Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, announced The Black Bookselling Conference: Connect. Build. Elevate, a free virtual conference to take place on Nov. 1, 2023. This initiative aims to support Black-owned bookstores, Black booksellers and advocates by creating a curated space for dialogue and […]
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Serena Williams has a 2-book deal, starting with an ‘intimate’ and ‘open-hearted’ memoir
By Hillel ItalieAP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Now that she’s stepped back from the sport she dominated like few others, Serena Williams is ready to reflect. The tennis great has a two-book deal with the Random House Publishing Group, starting with an “intimate” memoir in which she will open up about everything from […]
Posted inBooks
PRESS ROOM: ‘Butterflies In Me: An Anthology Bringing Awareness to Mental Health’
Enduring trauma of any kind, especially from a young age, leaves lasting scars that often cannot be healed alone. In her debut children’s book, “Butterflies In Me: An Anthology Bringing Awareness to Mental Health,” childhood sexual abuse survivor, author, award-winning filmmaker and poet Denisha Seals shares a collection of stories about children experiencing different types […]
Posted inArts & Culture
James Baldwin: The life story you may not know
Written by Taneasha White-Gibson James Baldwin: The life story you may not know James Baldwin was a prolific writer, poet, essayist, and civil rights activist. Though he spent much of his life abroad, he is undoubtedly an American writer, whose works serve as a prism through which to view Black American life. Apart from being […]
Posted inAfro Briefs
Black author Deesha Philyaw has a 7-figure deal for her next two books
By Hillel Italie AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Prize-winning fiction writer Deesha Philyaw, who struggled to find a publisher for what became her acclaimed debut “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” has a 7-figure deal for her next two books. Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced recently that it had signed […]
Posted inNEWS
Book censorship on the rise in U.S. libraries
By Stacy M. BrownNNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia American Library Association reports a 20 percent increase in challenges in 2023 (NNPA Newswire) – The assault on Black history and that of other minority groups in the United States. has ramped up with the recent banning of certain books. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual […]
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‘Sammy the Saver’ comic book teaches children about financial literacy
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com Four years ago Carl Brown began writing a story about a young boy named Sammy. He was not a regular boy. Sammy possessed an alter ego with a superpower that helped him and his friends to make smart financial decisions. With the help of a Citi Foundation grant […]
