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Some of these essays are a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Remember This copyright 2020 by Rene Watson, illustration copyright 2020 by Shadra Strickland. Handle Your Business copyright 2020 by Derrick Barnes, illustration copyright 2020 by Gordon C. James. Not a China Doll text and illustration copyright 2020 by Grace Lin. The Bike copyright 2020 by Wade Hudson, illustration copyright 2020 by E. B. Lewis. The Way of the Anigiduwagi copyright 2020 by Traci Sorell, illustration copyright 2020 by MaryBeth Timothy. Untitled copyright 2020 by Daniel Nayeri, illustration copyright 2020 by Zeke Pea. Why Are There Racist People? text and illustration copyright 2020 by Duncan Tonatiuh. Never Be Afraid to Soar copyright 2020 by Valerie Wilson Wesley, illustration copyright 2020 by Don Tate. My Olmec text and illustration copyright 2020 by Selina Alko. F.R.I.E.N.D.S. copyright 2020 by Torrey Maldonado, illustration copyright 2020 by Natacha Bustos. TEN copyright 2020 by Tracey Baptiste, illustration copyright 2020 by April Harrison. Im a Dancer copyright 2020 by Sharon Dennis Wyeth, illustration copyright 2020 by Raul Coln. Hablar copyright 2020 by Meg Medina, illustration copyright 2020 by Rudy Gutierrez. Our Inheritance copyright 2020 by Adam Gidwitz, illustration copyright 2020 by Peter H. Reynolds. Tough Tuesday copyright 2020 by Nikki Grimes, illustration copyright 2020 by Erin K. Robinson. The Road Ahead copyright 2020 by Minh L, illustration copyright 2021 by Cozbi A. Cabrera. Mazes text and illustration copyright 2020 by Christopher Myers.
Cover art 2021 by Rudy Gutierrez.
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Childrens Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
Crown and the colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
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The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition of this work as follows:
Names: Hudson, Wade, editor. | Hudson, Cheryl Willis, editor.
Title: The talk: conversations about race, love & truth / edited by Wade Hudson & Cheryl Willis Hudson
Other titles: The talk, conversations about race, love and truth
Description: New York: Crown Books for Young Readers, [2020] | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: Thirty diverse and award-winning authors and illustrators capture frank discussions about racism, identity, and self-esteemProvided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020011095 (print) | LCCN 2020011096 (ebook) | ISBN 978-0-593-12161-0 (hardcover) | ISBN 978-0-593-12162-7 (library binding) | ISBN 978-0-593-12164-1 (trade paperback) | ISBN 978-0-593-12163-4 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: RacismJuvenile literature. | Race relationsJuvenile literature. | African American childrenJuvenile literature. | African AmericansSocial conditionsJuvenile literature. | MinoritiesUnited StatesJuvenile literature. | Ethnic identityJuvenile literature. | Self-esteem in childrenJuvenile literature. | Conduct of lifeJuvenile literature. | EncouragementJuvenile literature. | Didactic literature, American.
Classification: LCC E185.61 .T19 2020 (print) | LCC E185.61 (ebook) | DDC 305.800973dc23
Ebook ISBN9780593121634
Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.
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Contents
FOR THOSE WHO ARE COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO TALK
W.H. & C.W.H.
FOREWORD
There are many reasons why parents and caregivers share The Talk with children. For some, its to prepare their daughter for the challenges she will surely face because she is female. Others have The Talk because of their youngsters sexual orientation. Immigrant parents have few options but to have it. And many have it because their child chooses to pursue an occupation, join a team, or participate in an organization where they were not often welcome because of their physical appearance.
The list goes on. There are myriad versions of The Talk because there are myriad ways to be human. And we wish we had the space to capture all of these conversations within these pages, because we know they are happening and we know people are hurting. This collection focuses on race, but we hope our readers see the words and images shared here as a starting point and a way we can all begin to build a more accepting world for each other.
In our home, we had The Talk with our daughter, Katura, and our son, Stephan. Many times. As adults responsible for two beautiful Black children, we knew how essential it was to give them the tools to make their way as safely as possible in a society that is too often hostile to them simply because they are African American. Especially as sometimes that hostility leads to the loss of Black life. So we drummed into them the dos and donts, the places to go and places to avoid, what to say, what not to say, and even how to say it. Just as our parents did for us. We desperately wanted to keep our kids protected, but we also didnt want to erode their positive self-esteem or sense of place in the world. Our talks were balancing acts indeed.
We can only imagine the kinds of talks that occur in homes and schools today because so many of us are being picked on, pushed aside, told we dont belong, or told to go back to where we came from. But we knew a group of people who would have that knowledge firsthand.
The outstanding writers and artists whose work is featured in this anthology are intimately familiar with these crucial discussions and know just how important they can be. The Talk, as much as any conversation can, helped them become more aware and better equipped when faced with the challenges the world threw at themchallenges that their parents and loved ones anticipated. They share their experiences and the impact The Talk has had on their lives as well as the lessons they have passed on to their own children.
In these pages, the authors and illustrators use different forms and styles. There are letters, lists, poems, short stories, and essays. Illustrations are rendered in watercolor, collage, pen and ink, acrylic, comix frames, and digital styles. And their messages are as diverse as their mediums.
These revealing and frank moments expose lessons of empowerment and periods of shame, times when the contributors were told they were small and instances when role models insisted they were born to be big. With advice and love, harsh realities and encouraging words, the talks offered in this anthology are real conversations that embrace honest ways of thinking that help expand ourselves and others in a complex and diverse society. Too frequently, we are silenced from having tough conversations because we feel we dont have the words. But what these award-winning creators of books for children and young adults share in this collection are stories and images that are filled with love, acceptance, truth, peace, and an assurance that there can be hope for a better tomorrow and a better future for all of us. So, lets talk.