Category Archives: Diversity, Race, and Representation

Conversation about diversity, multiculturalism, race, and inclusion.

New Spanish Releases of 2022

¡Agregue estos títulos en español y bilingües que vienen de Lee & Low Books en 2022 a su estantería! Estos títulos han sido traducidos, adaptados o publicados bilingües e incluyen viejos favoritos y nuevas historias por descubrir.

Add these Spanish and bilingual titles coming from Lee & Low Books in 2022 to your shelf! These titles have been either translated, adapted, or published bilingually and include old favorites and new stories to discover.

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2022 AAPI Heritage Month Books

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and to celebrate we’ve rounded up some of our favorite resources and books for readers and educators alike. Read books by AAPI authors and illustrators, uplift AAPI voices, and support AAPI activists and organizers—not just this month, but all year round.

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2022 Black History Month Book and Resource Roundup

For Black History Month, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite resources and books for readers and educators alike. Though this month is dedicated to uplifting Black history, culture, movements, and game changers, we must remember that Black history IS American history and should be celebrated all year round.

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The Importance of Black Joy in Children’s Books: A Conversation with Kelly J. Baptist and Darnell Johnson

A few years ago, conversations surrounding the importance of joyful books that feature Black characters finally started to pick up steam. Though BIPOC readers, specifically Black readers, have noticed the lack of joyful diverse books for some time, publishing is finally getting to a  place of recognition that Black characters are more than just oppression and a teaching moment for outside readers. BIPOC are just like everyone else with varied lived experiences that aren’t always rooted in pain. In this guest blog post, we hear from author Kelly J. Baptist and illustrator Darnell Johnson to discuss the importance of Black joy in children’s books and how that translated into their newest title The Electric Slide and Kai.

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Lee & Low Books Statement of Solidarity with the Asian American Community

Over the last several months, we have been horrified to watch the uptick in hate crimes, harassment, and violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. The NYPD reported that in 2020, hate crimes motivated by anti-Asian sentiment jumped 1,900%, and the reporting database Stop AAPI Hate received over 2,800 reports of anti-Asian discrimination between March and December 2020. While politicians’ racist rhetoric has fanned the flames of hate, we know that this is not an isolated moment, but rather a continuation of a long history of discrimination against Asian Americans. Continue reading

Black History Month Resources Roundup

For Black History Month, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite resources for readers and educators alike. Though this month is dedicated to uplifting Black history, culture, movements, and gamechangers, we must remember that Black history IS American history and should be celebrated all year round.

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Watch the Webinar: Black Lives Matter in the Classroom

We had the largest virtual turnout ever for last week’s webinar, “Black Lives Matter in the Classroom: A Conversation with Experts” with Laleña Garcia and Caryn Davidson, author and illustrator of What We Believe: A Black Lives Matter Principles Activity Book, and Jesse Hagopian and Denisha Jones, co-authors of Black Lives Matter at SchoolAnd as promised, the recording is finally here! If you missed it live (or just want to watch again), you can access the webinar below, or here on YouTube. Keep reading for links to resources and booklists shared during the webinar.

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How Labeling Books as “Diverse” Reinforces White Supremacy

In this guest post, librarian Alexandria Brown discusses the issues with labeling books as “diverse” and other ways we can build and promote a more equitable library collection. 

Every so often, the question of whether or not to add a spine label designating “diverse” books makes the rounds. Many condemn the practice, but lots of library staff persist in labeling. Like most diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues in librarianship, many of my colleagues are still operating within a white (and cisgender and heterosexual) supremacist framework. It is an understandable predicament to be in – after all, many library degree programs are not as strong as they could be in advocating for DEI and decolonization. So let’s examine the question of diversity labeling and see if we can’t get to a better understanding of why it’s problematic.

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6 Books by Black Creators for Middle School and High School

A couple weeks ago, we shared a list of 12 Picture Books by Black Authors and Illustrators. In this blog post, we’re continuing to highlight books with Black characters by Black creators, but this time for middle school and high school.

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Out Today: She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm

Today, we’re so excited to celebrate the release of our new picture book biography, She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm, written by Katheryn Russell-Brown and illustrated by Eric Velasquez.

Shirley Chisholm, a woman of many firsts, was an unforgettable political trailblazer, a candidate of the people and “catalyst of change” who opened the door for women in the political arena and for the first Black president of the United States.

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