Story Of Riak – An Illustrated Children's Book
For more information, check out the story underneath the following short video!
James Magot is a former Sudanese Lost Boy living in Lancaster, PA, a city dubbed "the refugee capital of America" by the BBC. In the US, James, or Riak as he was once known, found safety and started to live his own version of the American Dream. He was a leader in his community, got married, and
had three lovely children. But old wounds surfaced and he found that escaping Sudan wasn't as easy as moving to a new physical location. What started out as a bedtime story, a way for James to connect his own children with his (and so their) past, has over the years, taken on a life of its own. Telling the story, provided James with the opportunity to reflect on his past trials and tribulations and give his children a deeper sense of their identity as both Africans from an esteemed culture in South Sudan, and as biracial American children navigating their reality in an America that is not yet free of the types of classifications and social hierarchies James faced in Africa.
The Story of Riak combines the compelling tale of James' early life with the creative powers of Lancaster-based illustrator and activist Tess Feiler to produce a book that captures the heart-wrenching and the hopeful with sensitivity and insight. The team believes the Story of Riak will have wide appeal, both to a general audience wishing to know more about the lives of the millions of refugees who seek safety and a new life on American shores and also for biracial children and children of Africans who may be searching for their own way to understand the question at the core of James' story: who am I?
We believe in the power of storytelling to help heal old wounds and to provide hope for others who still suffer. And that's why we are appealing to you to help support this amazing project. The money you donate to this project will go directly toward allowing James and Tess the opportunity to dig deep and find the heart of the Story of Riak. As we meet our goal, we will provide monthly updates on the progress of the story, included interviews with James and Tess, as well as previews from the creative process so that you can follow along as the tale goes from bedtime story to book!
Thank you in advance for your generosity.
As featured on Fox 43 news!
https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-city-man-commemorates-20th-anniversary-arriving-in-america-from-sudan-with-childrens-book-about-multi-cultural-identity/521-87339e82-63bd-481b-8130-c5164820e8cc?fbclid=IwAR1TvlCa8e9MF3dSKohv1BIdKqJBt-hfe9wI1EkwwRZzl-9KWJA3DZ5pPK0
