Nora (she/her) is a 22-year-old Black artist, storyteller and changer-maker from Greenville, South Carolina.
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Duy was 16-year-old when he wrote his comic. His family immigrated from Vietnam. In his free time, he likes to write poetry and feed birds in Rock Creek Park.
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Phuong was 14 years old when he wrote his comic. He and his family are from Viet Nam.
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I am a high school student in Washington, DC and a first-generation Mexican-American. I have a big family: four brothers, one sister, four amazing parents—my mom and step-dad and my dad and step-mom—three cats, and a husky. I like music and sports.
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I am a 15-year-old girl from Washington, DC, currently in the 9th grade. My mother is from El Salvador, and my father is from Bolivia.
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I am 15 years old and a sophomore in high school. I am also a first-generation American with Mexican parents, a little sister, and an adorable little dog.
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Tayla is a recent graduate of Trinity Washington University and the mother of two beautiful daughters, Madison and Chloe. She was raised alongside her two brothers, Tyler and Treavon, by her grandparents, Jeanette and Bennie. They impressed upon her the importance of community love, and she wanted to share that in her first children’s book.
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Sholachauntel is a recent graduate of Trinity Washington University and the mother of a 4-year-old boy named Sebastian. She is a Washington, DC native and is currently pursuing a masters in Black Studies at Morgan State University. This is her first book. Shola wrote this book to depict the early years of being a teen mother, raising her son with the help of her community.
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Growing up in a predominantly African-American community in Washington, DC, Sarah understands the importance of having the support of a village. She was raised by an extended family of neighbors, teachers, and friends of the family.
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Joy wrote Joy-Grace and the Dress Dilemma while studying at Carnegie Mellon University. She was born in Jamaica to Igbo immigrants from Nigeria.
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Tseganesh wrote Joy-Grace and the Dress Dilemma as a senior at Theodore Roosevelt High School. She is Ethiopian and moved to the United States when she was 16.
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My name is Chase and I wrote “Hoops and Hopes.” I live in Washington, DC and go to DC Prep. In my free time, I like to play basketball. I also really enjoy riding my bike, playing video games, and writing, although I am still getting used to doing it on a computer. (I have very nice handwriting.) When I grow up, I would like to be a civil engineer. People should read my story because I believe that during these times people should read more about young Black men. Also I believe that my story contains messages that are amusing, powerful, and useful.
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Shirelle was a seventeen-year-old junior at Dunbar High School when she wrote Man Up!. She likes to explore and go places like museums and the National Harbor. She also likes to watch Netflix and eat snacks. She hopes readers will understand that it’s OK for boys to show their emotions.
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London a fifteen-year-old sophomore at Anacostia High School when he wrote Man Up!. He likes to sit at home, mind his business, stay in his place, and put you in yours. He loves watching TV and his dream job is to be a famous journalist. This is his first book. He wants readers to get that there’s no such thing as “girly” or “boyish” emotions. Be yourself no matter what.
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Riley was a student at Ballou Senior High School when she wrote her books. She likes to do artistic things, travel, and listen to music. She wrote Man Up because toxic masculinity is a topic that isn’t talked about, but is a major problem in our society. She hopes readers understand that gender is a social construct — you can be whoever you want to be. She wrote Diarou’s Not So Different because everyone deserves to be heard, and there’s a place for everyone in the world everywhere!
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Salihah “Sasa” Aakil was a sophomore in high school in Silver Spring, Maryland when she wrote I am the Night Sky. She enjoys writing, painting, doing pottery, and talking to people. She likes hunting down stories, asking people about their experiences, and creating art after them: sometimes for healing, sometimes for remembering, sometimes for rebellion.
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Iman was a freshman in high school when she wrote her first book I am the Night Sky. She was 18 when she wrote What It Cost Us. She’s currently a student at the University of Pennsylvania, studying International Relations and exploring the great Philly food scene. After she graduates, she would love to be a diplomat living in DC and working at the State Department.
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Ayonna is from Southeast DC. She has been playing basketball her whole life and wants to continue her journey in college. Her inspiration is LeBron James. She plans on going to a four-year university and double-majoring in math and sports management. It's challenging for her to communicate about personal issues, but she's overcoming that fear.
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Erminia was a senior in high school in Washington, DC when she wrote Voces Sin Fronteras. She is from El Salvador. She participates in a lot of leadership programs. In the future, she would like to be an immigration lawyer.
Erminia era en el último año de la escuela secundaria en Washington, DC cuando escribía Voces Sin Fronteras. Ella es de el Salvador. Ella participa mucho en programas de liderazgo. En el futuro, le gustaría ser una abogada de inmigración.
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Carl was born in 1998 on December 13. He is a very outgoing, open-minded person, and he loves to play sports and travel. He loves writing and using what he knows to make people proud. He views life and the world from a different perspective from everyone else.
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