Thank you for visiting. I am glad you’re here. After several years of encouragement by a few friends and family members, I decided to become serious about writing. When my heart was truly opened to the idea, my mentors appeared; first in Blake’s support and conversation and then in Tom’s creative writing instruction. I wrote in the mornings before school, after leaving the school libraries where I worked, and on the weekends when I didn’t have to coach at a track meet.
As an African American woman from the South, I wanted to create stories with protagonists who were somewhat like me and who are relatable to the black students I taught. I wanted to see African American culture displayed more than in the shades of brown skin in the illustrations. At some of the elementary, middle and high schools where I have taught, the student populations are a majority black, high in poverty rates, poor in diversity, and low in reading proficiency. These are just a few of the many demographics and statistics that together make a perfect recipe for underachievement and stagnation of the children in these schools. Even with the tireless efforts of genuine, competent administrators and teachers some of these schools still struggle to consistently graduate students who are on the same academic levels of their white peers.
With all of this in my heart my imagination went to work. I want to captivate reluctant readers while they are young. I want to expose students in all black schools to children from different races and ethnicities. Through storytelling I want to transport underserved children from their neighborhoods. I want to start timely discussion with all children that may help them grow and develop in a world that can be unforgiving and insensitive. I hope teachers and parents find my work worthy to be in their classrooms and homes. I hope children will read my stories and laugh.
Finally, if you would like to tell me about yourself or your school, ask me questions about my work, or invite me to your classrooms, let’s continue this conversation.
May God’s peace be with you,
Kecia