I Am What I Read: Exploring the Importance of African American Representation in Children’s Literature

This project is an amalgamation of original literature written to celebrate and shed light on the experiences, identities, and interests of African American children. This portfolio includes a research-driven introductory essay, five original poems, one short story, three picture book manuscripts complete with illustration notes, and a reflective essay. The introductory essay examines the need for African American representation in children’s literature at the classroom level and in general, highlighting both the positive outcomes of providing accessibility to inclusive children’s books and the negative impacts that come with the lack of representation.