The New Brownies' Book

A Love Letter to Black Families

By: Karida L. Brown, Charly Palmer

Narrated by: Ruffin Prentiss, Jasmin Walker

"[A] heartfelt tribute to young people of color and their 'reflection of resplendent beauty, ancient history ... and irreplaceable value.' It's a standout."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Inspired by the groundbreaking work of W. E. B. Du Bois, this beautiful collection brings together an outstanding roster of Black creative voices to honor, celebrate, and foster Black excellence.

Give yourself a joyful smile as you look at your beautiful skin. Hug yourself. You are as unique as your fingerprints. This is TRUTH.—Halima Taha, “A Love Letter for You” from The New Brownies’ Book

In 1920, as art and writing flourished during the Harlem Renaissance, W. E. B. Du Bois published The Brownies’ Book: A Monthly Magazine for Children of the Sun—the first periodical for African American youth, collecting original art, stories, letters, and activities to celebrate their identities and inspire their imaginations and ambitions. Building upon Du Bois’s mission, esteemed professor and scholar Karida L. Brown and celebrated artist Charly Palmer reimagine the groundbreaking publication with The New Brownies’ Book, gathering the work of more than 50 contemporary Black writers, including Ntozake Shange, Frank X Walker, Danny Simmons, and Alice Faye Duncan. Created by and for Black families today, this anthology is filled with inspiring essays, poems, and short stories reflecting on the joy and depth of the Black experience.

Delivering delight to adults and children alike, this powerful celebration of twenty-first century Black culture fulfills the promise of its source material by reminding listeners of all ages that Black is brilliant, beautiful, and bold.

©2023 Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer (P)2023 Recorded Books

The curation of images and words stirs the mind and heart in all the best ways.

This is a fabulous audio version of a book. I bought the book first. Karida L. Brown and Charley Palmer have masterfully written and curated an important book. I think it should be in every library. It sees the real, radiates love and never looks away. It melds historic and contemporary writers. It is for children and the fully grown. The clear table of contents breaks the works into sections and gives you a chance to see the title and author making it easy to return again to your favorites. I have marked many pages. The contributors bios at the end of the book gives you enough information to dig deeper. As Karida L Brown writes at the end of her poem, From, “…i come from a people who make a way out of no way/who make ways for others/when you feel me coming/make way.” I encourage you to “make way” for this.