Let's Count, Baby by Cheryl Willis Hudson

In an unexpected turn of events, Tilla is forced to face the storm that unravels in her own life as she learns about the dark secrets that lie beyond the veil of paradise-all in the midst of an impending hurricane. But every six months, he leaves their family and returns to his true home: the island of Jamaica. When Tilla’s mother tells her she’ll be spending the summer on the island, Tilla dreads the idea of seeing him again, but longs to discover what life in Jamaica has always held for him. In this sweeping debut, Asha Bromfield takes readers to the heart of Jamaica, and into the soul of a girl coming to terms with her family, and herself, set against the backdrop of a hurricane.Tilla has spent her entire life trying to make her father love her. Black is You, Black is Me, Black is Us, Black is Free! Jump to Picture Book Titles Jump to Middle Grade Titles Jump to Young Adult Titles Jump to Bonus Adult Titles Picture Books Titles In all, the creation of this booklist was inspired and defined by The Last Poets’ powerful 1970 poem entitled, Black is. It also can be used to encourage others to be stronger allies through an empathetic lens. This booklist was primarily curated in hopes to encourage the Black youth to strive for that same freedom. Not only free from anti-Black racism, but also free to be individuals who can explore what it means to be themselves outside the caricatured monolithic scope society tries to impose on their Black bodies. They dreamed of the freedom to be unabashedly authentic in the face of all forms of oppression. Like the formerly enslaved Africans, the Black protagonists, characters, and historical figures of this booklist dared to imagine freedom against all opposing factors in their narratives.

In celebration of Juneteenth, this booklist was curated in that same spirit. Free to love, free to create, free to enjoy everything life has to offer. They longed for the day they would be free to be whatever they desired. Many carved out their own paths for freedom well before a document legally legitimized their personhood. Black Americans have always used their imagination to envision what the days would look like when they were free.

Let's Count, Baby by Cheryl Willis Hudson