(l-r) Troy Johnson,
Wade
Hudson,
Bernette
Ford,
Tonya Bolden,
Regina Brooks,
Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati,
Patrik Henry Bass, Harlyn Pacheco
Held During Book Expo America (BEA), Saturday, May 31, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Industry professionals shared their insight and knowledge of
the state of African-American children’s books; their past, present
and solutions for the future. The panel was moderated by Troy
Johnson, Founder of The African American Literature Book Club (AALBC.com).
The audio of the panel discussion is provided below. The recording starts about 15 minutes into the discussion during Wade Hudson’s opening statement.
Read the Panel Transcript
Panelist’s Bios
Wade Hudson’s career as a
writer spans more than three decades. In 1988, Hudson’s passion for writing
and life-long mission to help foster positive self-images within the Black
community, prompted him and his wife Cheryl to launch Just Us Books, the
nation’s leading independent publisher of Black-interest books for young
people. Wade currently serves as president and CEO. Wade has also written
more than 25 books for young people.
Read Wade Hudson’s presentation.
Bernette Ford founded
COLOR-BRIDGE BOOKS, a packaging and consulting company, in January 2003, and
has packaged a wide range of children’s books, all written and illustrated
by people of color. Ford’s career begin in 1972 and covered a variety of
roles including, VP/Associate Publisher at Grosset & Dunlap where she was
the first African-American editor to hold that position at a major house.
Bernette has also written many picture books for toddlers and children.
Regina Brooks is the founder and
CEO of Serendipity Literary Agency and represents a diverse base of
award-winning authors in children’s and young adult fiction. Her authors
have received numerous accolades and honors including Coretta Scott King
awards, a National Book Award finalist, and a Lambda Award Winner. She is
the author of the children’s book, Never Finished! Never Done! and the award
winning go-to book for MFA programs, Writing Great Books for Young Adults.
Tonya Bolden has authored,
co-authored, or edited more than two dozen books for children and young
adults. They include: The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali, Maritcha: A
Nineteenth-Century American Girl, and her latest, Searching for Sarah
Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America. Tonya has a great passion for
American history and aims to make it come alive for our nation’s young
people. It’s one of the ways she expresses her hope for the future.
Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati is the CEO
of The Literary Media and Publishing Consultants. The Literary is a PR firm
that specializes in publishing , they are consultant to authors, publishers
and corporate entities interested in literacy. She is also the founder
of The African American Children’s Book Project which produces the largest
and oldest single day event the, African American Children’s Book Fair. In
addition Vanesse is the cultural correspondent for WURD-AM radio in
Philadelphia and a frequent contributor on the syndicated Bev Smith Show
that broadcast in 30 major markets around the country.
Patrik Henry Bass is an
award-winning writer and editor, with an extensive background in publishing
covering books, history, lifestyle and popular culture. Bass currently
serves as editorial projects director at Essence Magazine. He has played a
significant role in the development of such recognizable editorial
franchises including The Essence Book Club and the Essence Literary Awards.
The Zero Degree Zombie Zone, his first children’s book, will be released on
August 26, 2014 from Scholastic Press.
Harlyn Pacheco is CEO and
Co-Founder of Qlovi. Qlovi creates digital reading experiences that
accelerate literacy achievement for diverse kids. Using their interactive
platform, Qlovi distributes eBooks to K-12 channels for 20 publishers,
including HarperCollins. In 2013, Qlovi was named winners in the Gates
Foundation Literacy Courseware Challenge, Echoing Green Fellowship, and
HarperCollins BookSmash Challenge.
In Search of Diverse Book Buyers Panel Discussion at Book Expo America - May 28, 2015 - New York, NY
