Three Black Authors on the Current NY Times Bestsellers List

[Troy]

On the Children's Bestsellers List for February 22, 2015

 

All are on the Middle Grade, Children's Best Sellers List

 

#3 Jacqueline Woodson (her book, brown girl dreaming won award that could be won, including a National Book Award)
#4 Kwame Alexander (The Crossover)
#6 Sharon M. Draper (Out of my Mind)

Y'all know me; this is not to imply that we need the NY Times to validate our work.  But the reality is that rest of the world and many of us do want this credential, so I do congratulate the all of the authors.  Practically speaking making this list puts often puts one into a category that allows them to make enough money to live off their writing.

 

When this happens, all of us in the Black book ecosystem benefits.  For example, the Brother on the list (#4 Middle Grade), Kwame Alexander gave me my first break back in 1998 to site a panel to talk about Poetry.  I was on the panel with Afaa Michael Weaver, Jessica Care Moore, Kysha N. Brown (Kwame is moderating the panel on the left left of the image.  I'm on the far right.  

 

 

Kwame has done a ton to promote Black books for decades.  I know the Black book world will be better as a result of him making the list.