sisters speak

The following book reviews come from Hope Wabuke at  The Root Searching for Summer Books for a Young Reader? With a dearth of books featuring children of color, The Root has found some gems that will keep your kids entertained all summer long. BY: HOPE WABUKE / Posted: June 1 2015 3:00 AM / The Root    It is no secret that the publishing world—especially in children ’s literature— is overwhelmingly white . Fortunately, awareness of this issue has been rising—in part because of a new organization called We Need Diverse Books. And y et, the representations of blackness in literature for young people remain terrifyingly slim. A study by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin finds that only 93 of the 3,200 books published in 2013 featured a black character. Why is this important? Because the stories we read shape the story of who we become. “There is a sense of self-love,” writes Christopher Myers , “that comes from recogn...

www.sanstudio.org                                                                               see what we have to offer Announcement: Sisters Action Network will be in Detroit, Michigan at the historic Liberal Arts Gallery on June 6, 2015.  We will provide a mini workshop to Detroit teen girls on promoting positive images in cyberspace.  Registration is limited to 25 young ladies.  For more details and preregistration go to the website: www.sanstudio.org

Incident   By Countee Cullen Once riding in old Baltimore,      Heart-filled, head-filled with  glee, I saw a Baltimorean     Keep looking straight at me. Now I was eight and very small,     And he was whit bigger, And so I smiled, but he poked out     His tongue and called me, "Nigger." I saw the whole of Baltimore     From May until December: Of all the things that happened there      That's all that I remember.       --------------------------------------------------------      In the tony neighborhood of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan a lone middle school student, Phoenix Williams, was terrified in the Bloomfield Hills Junior High School and on the bus.  In school he reports some students told racist jokes about African Americans. He wondered where the teacher(s) was?  However, on March 13, 2015, on the school bus in route to and from ...

High School Graduation for MB Reason to Celebrate:   The beginning of adulthood—yeah!   Independence has been earned?   Party.   Family and friends are proud.   Life as an adult, kinda, begins.   The Challenge(s):   Off to college or university—kinda scared; I don’t really know if I’ll be able to meet expectations?   or Intend to marry—safety with a partner; or begin family—happy, scary, & unequipped;   The Fears   :-(      Thoughts:   I’m probably the only one who doesn’t know what I want to do with my life.   I don’t know what I want to go to school for?   I can’t live up to expectations (adulthood)?   What are my expectations?   What is my responsibility to myself, to my family, friends, community?   I’m overwhelmed!   How will I make money?   How will I live?   How come I don’t know the answer to what I want to be for the rest of my life?   ...

Quick Book Review   “(…if I could go back in time and slap   all the idiocy out of my mouth, I would be a busy time traveler.) “My new nickname was ‘skinny bitch.’   It was the best compliment I ever could have received and allowed me   a new confidence.”   The two previous quotes come from Issa Rae’s recently published autobiography, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl .   This is a story whose wit and humor is matched by its profundity.   It’s comfortably written and relatable to awkward and comfortable readers alike.   For young ladies going through awkward periods this is a testament that you are not alone.   Further, Rae assures the insecure that within oneself it's okay.   I recommend this autobiography.   As an aside, the title comes from Rae’s award winning web series.   Check it out, if you haven’t had a chance to view it.   I’ll close the w...

Been busy working on new website but couldn't resist sharing this from  Norman Vincent Peale's  The Power of Positive Thinking. "The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind free from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised."

Match A Woman’s Name to a clue or her Accomplishment Sonia Sotomayor        Sacagawea                            Viola Liuzzo           Jean Quan                             Shirley Chisholm          Louise Erdrich                           Toni Morrison         Malala Yousafzai                   Anita Hill            Frida Kahlo     Michaëlle Jean      Mammy Chloe Wofford? She survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for advocating for girls to be educated. The youngest person to be awarded a No...