Black Brilliance Youth Books

In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.

"On the first day of spring, a young New Yorker, with her mother and aunts, takes the train to the ocean to make an offering of flowers and fruit to Mama Ocean, thanking her for her magnificence, and welcoming the new year"--

Mothers replaces common misconceptions with empowering statements and let their daughters know there are no limits to what they can achieve.

"It's Sunday, and that means it's Hair Day! As Mami weaves gold and cowrie shells into Yadira's hair, she tells her the story of the goddess Oshún, showing Yadi how her Afro Latin heritage is lovingly tucked into each braid and shell. The next day, Yadi arrives for her first day at a new school nervous about making friends, but with her beautiful braids, the click-clack of the cowrie shells, and a little guidance from Oshún, she finds she has...