Stock Our Shelves So Scholars Okay Can See Themsel

Hello! My name is Meghan, I am the librarian at Harvest Best Academy in Minneapolis, Minnesota and I am fundraising for our school library.

 

At our Afrocentric K-8 charter school, every educator in our building is committed to providing a world-class education as well as fostering a strong sense of identity in the young people we work with. But it's not easy to inspire a love of reading and learning when the books don’t inspire a love of oneself. As Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop explains: "When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part."

 

Representation matters, which is why our school library collection needs updating so that our predominantly African American and Black student population can see themselves reflected and affirmed in the stacks.

 

Not only will your donation to this campaign be helping to put high-quality books into the hands of deserving young people that feature African American and Black characters or subjects and are written by Black authors, but you'll be supporting Black-owned, independent bookstores too. All the books in this campaign are sourced from booksellers committed to promoting a love of reading and increasing representation in the book world, including:

 

Just think: with one act of generosity, you can help elevate the representation in our library collection and build widespread joy for reading, aid our mission to instill pride and passion in the next generation of leaders, and support Black-Owned bookstores who are making a difference in their communities.