Hey, so let's talk about the importance of diversity in children's books. We all know that books teach empathy. For a lot of people in this country, the first chance they get to meet BIPOC and LGBTQIA folks is in the pages of a book. I can't stress how important this is.

When I first started talking to schools about diversity, I was always focused on the importance of marginalized kids seeing themselves in the pages of a book. How for many of us, we had felt "othered" all our lives until we found "our" book. The book that made us feel seen.

But at some point, I realized it was just as important for ALL kids to read diversely. For white kids to read about BIPOC and for all kids to read about LGBTQIA and disabilities communities. This exposure is deeply important to teaching empathy. That’s why #WeNeedDiverseBooks.

Children have the capacity for empathy but they are not born empathetic. They must learn it through education and real life experiences. Books are an important part of that learning experience.That’s what children’s books do. They help teach children empathy.

If you looked at the number of American voters willing to support a racist & hate filled agenda & wondered WHY? I posit that it's connected to the lack of good diverse representation in childrens books for those voting age groups. All they had was systemic pervasive racism.

This infographic by @LEEandLOW shows the diversity gap from 1994 to 2017. It isn't until recently that the number of diverse childrens books has actually risen over a 24 year period. I would say it correlates w/ the formation of @diversebooks.

There is no easy answer to combat racism. There is so much work to be done in order to dismantle systemic racism and hate. But remember the importance of children's books in this endeavor for a better world. Diverse books must be taught in every school. Curriculums must change.

Books by and about BIPOC and LGBTQIA are the most challenged in this country. Think about why and then work to keep these books in our schools and libraries. The very existence of these books is a challenge to ongoing racism and hate. It challenges white supremacy.

When we first started #WeNeedDiverseBooks, we were inundated with hate and death threats. We were told we were committing white genocide. Think about that. Asking for more books by and about BIPOC was equated w/ white genocide. This is how white supremacy works.

So as we face the hard work to dismantle systemic racism, I ask you not to forget the importance of children's books in this fight. Because it is clear that #WeNeedDiverseBooks now more than ever if we have a chance to make real lasting change.