“I want readers to walk away with two things – an understanding of the interconnectedness of Black people around the world, and the curiosity to learn more. The Diaspora was captured beautifully in Ayo’s Adventure, but it wasn’t captured fully. I’m hoping both children and adults are inspired to take a deeper dive into the Diaspora after reading. - Read the full interview on The Federation of Children’s Book Groups

“When I started working in education, I distinctly remember reading bell hooks’ Happy to be Nappy to my kindergarten scholars and being in such awe at how hooks’ made the word ‘nappy’ one to be proudly, and profoundly embraced. Nappy—a word that as a little Black girl you’re conditioned to run away from, not because it’s negative in itself, but because everything and everyone around us taught us that ‘nappy’ hair was synonymous with being unkempt, unprofessional, unclean, and undesirable.” Read the full article on We Need Diverse Books