This post is written by 起点传媒student member, Tytianna N. M. Wells Smith.听
Books must mirror the lives of readers. This month I participated in two at elementary schools serving racially and ethnically diverse student populations: Audubon Traditional Elementary School and Jacob Elementary School, both located in Louisville, Kentucky. I was honored to receive a request to participate in each school鈥檚 Read-In that celebrated Black history, culture, and identity.
As a young African American author and illustrator of the children鈥檚 book series Sweet Pea and Sugar Tea鈥檚 Country Family Adventures: A Collection of African-American Poems, Volumes 1鈥�4, I read and performed spoken word to students in grades 1 through 5. This inspirational and educational series teaches students to celebrate and respect their culture and language, as well as the people around them. Students listened to poems that included 鈥淣iece Candy鈥檚 Secret Journal,鈥� 鈥淯ncle Chuckle鈥檚 Barbershop,鈥� 鈥淭he Case of the Honey Butter Biscuits,鈥� 鈥淏ig Momma鈥檚 Famous Peach Cobbler,鈥� 鈥淛elly Bean Tells a Story,鈥� 鈥淏iscuit and the Bully,鈥� and 鈥�Honey Teaches a Lesson!鈥�
After each reading and performance, many students shared personal stories about the encouraging people in their families and communities, their roles and responsibilities as leaders in their homes and schools, their experiences as courageous standers-up to bullies and other manifestations of violence, and their aspirations and goals to use their passion to make their school, neighborhood, and world a better place. This book series helped students to discuss tough concepts such as race, identity, homelessness, adoption, and bullying. Based on the students鈥� responses, it was evident that many students related to the stories as they reflected on their lived experiences that connect their home and school identities.
Tytianna N. M. Wells Smith is the author and illustrator of the four-volume children鈥檚 book series Sweet Pea and Sugar Tea鈥檚 Country Family Adventures: A Collection of African-American Poems. She is also a full-time doctoral student and graduate assistant at the University of Louisville. To learn more about her books and programs, please visit .听