Alejandria Fights Back read en Español

 

Hey fam, if you have seen the reading of Alejandria Fights Back in Español by the books translator Dr Carla España please watch it here. This book came out last summer and his been making the rounds via reviews and classrooms. If you know of any educators who would dig hearing or sharing a Spanish reading of the book please share this with them.

Want a reading in English? watch elementary school teacher Mr Limata read it here

Skip to the 11:45 min mark for the reading.

And if you haven't seen the trailer please check it out:

School visit: Alejandria Fights back

 

This is an image from a school visit to a school in Oakland. Organizer Heather Appel (masked and standing in the rear) and myself read to this huge group of students wearing our masks and it is never not fun to share stories like Alejandria Fights Back with kids. 

If you haven't seen the book trailer , check it out here:

If you are a school teacher who would like to get a copy of the book or some resources for it check out the website: www.alejandriafightsback.com/

Video: Book trailer - Alejandria Fights back!

 

If you missed it this is the book trailer for Alejandria Fights Back/ La Lucha de Alejandria which came out last summer. This is a book published by Feminist Press in NYC and written by Leticia Hernandez-Linares and the Rise Home Stories Project; and illustrated by me. 

Please watch the trailer and check out the other projects from this team such as a video game, animated short, podcast, and more HERE

If you're an educator and you'd like to get a copy of the book there are limited free copies here.

Latinxs In Kid Lit Interview

 

Recently me and Leticia got on Latinxs in Kid Lit to interview each other and talk a bit about the making of this picture book. Its an audio piece so go to the blog and give it a listen! Shout out to Cindy from the blog for giving us a space to talk.

A few years back some of my work was featured on Latinxs in Kid Lit:

Pura Belpre illustration

Furqan's First bilingual picture book

Book review: At Home Librarian

Yo, we got a review by Tibby Wroten who runs the "At Home Librarian" blog where she reviews a diverse array of kid lit so parents, librarians, booksellers, and book lovers can learn about cool new books. Check it out HERE.

Here's a quote from the review:

"the book is a roadmap of sorts or how kids and adults can take steps to protect their communities. While this story is particular to gentrification, the ideas behind organizing community are the same no matter what issue you take on. I also really appreciate the ideas presented here around organizing the people around you to show up to City Hall to speak at council meetings and also getting plugged into organizations working specifically on the issue at hand. Most books for kids that talk about “activism” are about making signs and showing up at marches they didn’t organize."

And if you check out this link, you can see some other books of mine that she's reviewed.

 

Alejandria Fights Back is OUT TODAY!

 

TODAY is the day fam, please check out my video introducing "Alejandria Fights Back" written by Leticia Hernandez & The Rise Home Stories Project, translated by Profesora Dr Carla España , and pub by Feminist Press in NYC.

This project "Alejandria Fights Back" was a collaborative one for the books. Got to work with filmmakers and organizers in the Bay Area, Michigan, North Carolina, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Georgia, and the publisher is in NYC. It has been a ride and there are some videos, posts, etc to come.

Its hella different doing a virtual book release y'all. So I appreciate any and all support. Shout out to Josh Healey who said "I think you should apply to this" He was right! Here's the synopsis:

Here is the book trailer:

Please watch and share it!

If you missed it, check out the features on Social Justice Books and Rethinking Schools.

Rethinking Schools feature for Alejandria

 

Yo, this just in, my new book "Alejandria Fights Back" got a mention in the new "Rethinking Schools" magazine. If you're not hip, this magazine has been around since the mid 80s in Milwaukee by educators. They saw that the history books they had at the time were wack (still are, but getting better) and they decided to compile lessons for the babies involving ethnic studies, what would today be excluded as critical race theory, and social justice. As a trusted source by educators all over the US, and internationally. So, suffice to say this nod in the form of a feature is BIG and I have so much respect. If you want to get a physical or digital copy go here.

I was fortunate enough to do some artwork for the magazine many moons ago, peep that here. And shout out to AD Nancy Zucker! If you missed the post about Social Justice books, peep that here.

Video! - Alejandria Fights Back & Highlights Fundation!

 

Had a chance to talk to Feminist Press, part of my team on the Alejandria Fights Back/La Lucha de Alejandria book, and members of the Highlights Foundation (remember the magazine?). You can preorder the book here. If you're a book blogger and want a review copy, hit me up. 

If you missed my previous post announcing the book, please check that out here.

Alejandria Fights back featured on "Social Justice Books"

 

    Yo, this is pretty amazing to make it to the front of the NEW books page on Social Justice Books' site! If you didn't already know SJB is one of the biggest and most organized sites for both diverse and progressive minded books in kid lit for kids pre school aged up until high school and college. PLEASE do me a favor and subscribe to their newsletter, follow them, check out their many book lists, and support them! This is especially true for all those who ask, where are the diverse books? or Where are the socially conscious books?

That being said, I want to givce a BIG shout out to Teaching For Change who are the organizers behind the Social Justice Books site. Thank you for championing books and educators trying to teach the babies. And please keep an eye out for Alejandria Fights Back/ La Lucha de Alejandria when it comes out. You can preorder the book here. And check out my previous post about the book here.

PS: If you look closely you can see a second book on the 2021 new bks page that I illustrated by this awesome lady.

Press for Alejandria Fights Back!

 

Fam, as some of you saw my new picture book Alejandria Fights Back is coming out this summer, and I wrote a little bit about it here. But check this out, Leticia (the author along w/ Rise Home Stories Project) got a write up in Mission Local newspaper! 

Read the article HERE.

And if you're interested you can preorder your copy here.

Also, if you're in SF this Sunday, bring your babies to come hear the book read by Leticia and Me!

Contract Buyers League - Black History Month

I illustrated this to contribute to a poster book called "Celebrate People's History", which will be published by Feminist Press next year. This book is being spearheaded by artist Josh Macphee and features over a hundred great artists speaking on moments of social justice and resistance, not just individuals. To find out more about the book, follow Feminist Press. Follow Josh's work at Just Seeds here.

I first came across the CBL after reading Tanheisi Coates' "The Case for Reparations" (The Atlantic, 2014); then again through Beryl Satter's book "Family Properties". The Contract Buyers League was formed in 1968 by Black residents of North Lawndale Chicago, priest Jack Macnamara, and young organizers.

Black folks have been robbed for hundreds of millions by what is known as contract lending for housing in Chicago. To buy a house you need a mortgage which you pay into over time, can renegotiate, and pay a fair price for. This can be obtained by getting a loan from a bank, by saving a large sum of money, or from wealth passed down. Black folks were consistently refused by banks , rarely had wealth passed down, and often worked many jobs to afford a down payment. In Chicago, they were also limited to where they could live after and during the great migration (1917-1960) from the Southern US to cities like Chicago (and NY, Boston, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, etc).

Enterprising white businessmen made contracts that allowed Black folks to live in a home. But, these men bought a home for 6 or 8 thousand dollars and would sell it to Black families for double or triple that cost. If the Black families missed one payment during the first year or the 15th year the businessmen could come take the house back and flip it again to another Black family. As a result Black families worked twice or three times harder than whites to buy and live in a house. The contract owner also assumed no responsibility for repairs, licenses, or taxes. In fact, they would often require Black home owners to make additions to their homes costing them even more. As a result Black housing became worn down, they had less time to care for their kids, and this was used as a way to talk down to or label their neighborhoods "ghetto's".

So, Jack, college students, and Black residents organized. They formed the "Contract Buyers League" to stop this madness in their city.They went around helping folks understand the language written in the contracts, gathered resources, strategized in large meetings, withheld money from these thieving contract owners, and helped some 400 families renegotiate their monthly payment and contracts so that they could own their homes. How did they do it? They embarrassed the owners, picketed, faced physical and verbal violence, spoke to the media, enlisted the help of progressive lawyers, and they organized.

Note, the white businessmen had the support of not only local white residents who didn't want Black folks living near them, but the local police department, the mayor, judges, lawmakers, banks, and the US Federal government through the FHA.

Sources: To read learn more bout their work and the vicious cycle of "redlining" see: Family Properties by Beryl Satter, The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein, Code Switch's podcast episode "Location, Location, Location", Tanehisi Coates article "The Case for Reparations",  articles by The Chicago Tribune's and the Chicago Reporter. And the http://contractbuyersleague.blogspot.com/

Process sketch:

Drawn with pencil, paper, photoshop, and the ipad pro

Want to see more of my illustrations from Black History Month? Click HERE