Local children’s authors planning black book fair for underserved youth

CHARLOTTE, NC — What started as a simple conversation over social media sparked an idea that could inspire kids to create their own stories.

Children’s authors Tee Armstrong and Ronheen Bingham met over social media and came up with the idea to host  a black book fair.

 “So it just feels good to be able to create an avenue for kids to be able to come and go and be able to go in there and get a book and not have to worry about, can I afford a book?”

Armstrong said  they wanted to create a space  where black and brown children can connect with stories that reflect their lives and meet authors who look like them.

“I don’t want young girls to have to wait until adulthood to work through healing.

I want to be able to tackle the issue before it occurs and go ahead and affirm their belief system,” Armstrong said. 

While Armstrong’s books focus on positive affirmations and allowing young black girls to feel comfortable in their skin, Bingham’s book ‘Boys do Cry’ enables the professional athlete to empower young black boys to express their emotions in a healthy way. 

“Because if you can teach a boy how to cry when he becomes a man, it’s easier for him to express his emotions,” Bingham said. 

Together they hope the black book fair can help to increase access and provide free books for children in underserved communities.

“We see a need in the community that education is becoming something that’s on the back burner, and we want to bring that to the forefront, so we’re doing unconventional approaches to make learning fun again,” Armstrong said. 

 Armstrong said she hopes the kids walk away not only with a new book,  but the experience of being seen and valued.

The authors are still raising money to make their dream a reality. Click here to see their gofundme.