(NEW YORK)— PEN America, in partnership with Just Us Book and Penguin Random House, will join a lineup of celebrated children’s book authors on Tues., March 10, for a live reading at 11:00 am ET/ 10:00 am CT of excerpts from the anthology, We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices. The event is aimed at supporting the young people of Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Participating authors include Jacqueline Woodson, Kelly Starling Lyons, Tony Medina, Margarita Engle, Tameka Fryer Brown, Sharon G. Flake, Ellen Oh, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Sharon Draper.
Published in 2018, in response to the 2016 Presidential election, We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices offers words of encouragement, resilience, and hope for young readers during challenging times by more than 50 children’s book authors. The anthology was organized by Wade and Cheryl Willis Hudson of Just Us Books. Eight years later, Cheryl Willis and Wade Hudson are convening the authors for a virtual read-in targeted to young people in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN.
The link to register is here.
“When the news gets heavy and heartbreaking, I’m uplifted by the courageous ways people in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota are showing unity, strength and kindness and the collective actions they are taking.” said Kelly Starling-Lyons, author of award-winning title Sing A Song: “How Lift Every Voice And Sing” Inspired Generations, “I keep thinking about the children. They need comfort, messages of hope and resilience, reminders that we see them, love them and they matter. Our read-in is our tribute to them.”
As the presence of ICE disrupts lives for young people in Minneapolis, this virtual community read-in looks to inspire, uplift, and provide comfort to young people feeling scared or silenced. “People around the country are standing up for democracy, freedom of speech and equal rights for all of us. Among them are the courageous citizens in Minneapolis and St. Paul. We wanted to show our support by offering love and encouragement to the young people of the Twin Cities,” said Wade Hudson, award winning young adult author of books that focus on Black history, Black Culture and Black experiences and CEO and co-founder of Just Us Books.
The reading is supported by a generous donation of hundreds of copies of the anthology from Penguin Random House to be distributed by Red Balloon Bookshop and AMAZEworks. Cheryl Willis Hudson, co-founder and editorial director of Just Us Books and beloved children’s book author, said: “We are so appreciative of the many organizations that volunteered to partner with us to make this initiative a reality, including bookstores, literacy programs, and of course, the wonderful authors who volunteered to participate in the virtual author presentation.”
Other partners supporting this event include The Children’s Book Council, The Authors Guild, The Brown Bookshelf, Hennepin County Public Library, and St. Paul Public Library.
The event comes on the heels of a delegation of authors organized by PEN America to Minneapolis this past weekend, including PEN America President and acclaimed author Dinaw Mengestu, in a show of solidarity with the literary community.
PEN America Freedom to Read Director Kasey Meehan said, “As an organization that is committed to the power of the word to change the world, events like these can inspire meaningful action and resilience by communities under threat. This is especially important for young people whose experiences need to be met with the empathetic stance that literature offers.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], 201-247-5057