Two Out of Three

All of my life I've loved writing and reading black authors, authors who look like me. My favorite author growing up was Walter Dean Meyers. He painted a picture of blackness that I had never known. I'm a small town girl from rural Michigan, a mainly white community. The only place I found blackness was in my own home. Meyers wrote about a vibrant and enticing community deeply rooted and unashamed of their blackness. His writing gave me permission to explore what all my blackness could be, not limited only to what I saw or what my community told me I was. I was and am madly in love with that girl and her blackness. Writing like many other things is a gift and I allowed myself to lay it down for so many reasons. Today, I write to journey back to my first love. I am picking it back up without fear or reservation. I am writing the stories of blackness that I didn't see. I am writing for the next black girl who is looking to experience all her blackness can be. I am writing empowering and unique stories of blackness; the beauty in the black family, the excellence in the black community, and the limitlessness in our black children. This writing is healing me and I hope it plays a part in the healing of others. I'm writing our path to freedom and peace, starting with our children. Healing and wholeness is possible. You are beautiful, excellent, and limitless. I invite you to read this in every book and on every page that I've poured my heart into, hoping it would find you.