Brown Girls Unite

So the Brown Girls Unite library has been a success! Here at Brown Girls Unite I not only empower through Fine Art but also through Diverse Books, so over the summer we launched a micro library filled with diverse books. The feedback from the community was great! Neighbors gave unsolicited donations of books by the bag full. Children raced to the library to find a book, then came back with friends. These young readers could not believe that they could actually take the books home. I specifically remember two young girls around the age of  six who told me "Thank you so much for the books!" which really touched me. Children are appreciative of the books and open to reading in a neighborhood that 40% of the population is below poverty level. The median income of the neighborhood is only $24,087 a year and 73.8% of the population  is Black/African American. There is a major misconception that urban, African American children don't read, don't want to read, and the commu...

The other day I was asked "What's up with all the Brown Girls throwing hand signs in your art?" and my answer is "Representation Matters". So let's start from the beginning, this summer I started painting a series of brown girls that reflected pride in their ethnic heritage, academic excellence, service to the community and friendship. I wanted to represent a college educated woman who is proud of who she is and where she comes from. I also wanted viewers to relate personally to each painting, I want mothers and daughters to see themselves in the painting.  Each brown girl is wearing a dashiki in the paintings. I think it is important to embrace our ethnic heritage in art. I see works from other artists that say they are about celebrating the African, female body but the work is usually a nude. I think women can be empowered without being nude, women can be clothed in strength and pride. Women can boldly celebrate their heritage in a dashiki cloth t...

                 The journey continues in empowering brown girls with books and art. Previously I sought to write, illustrate and publish my own diverse books which focused girls of color as the main character. An amazing goal, and a lot of work, but I discovered that I'm more interested in representing brown girls in art than actually writing. Moreover my continued research has revealed a PLETHORA of brown girl books! Cool books about girls with magical puff hair, books about brown girl ballerinas, books about brown girls loving their hair in both English and Spanish, and so much more. There are so many great books out there about brown girls, by brown girls, and for brown girls. So my mission has changed from creating diverse books to promoting diverse books in minority neighborhoods. Creating access to diverse book for urban, black children and families.                  So to kick start th...