Just Us Books Needs Your Support

If you’re familiar with Black children’s book publishing, then you might know why Just Us Books was founded. Parents Wade and Cheryl Hudson were tired of searching for books that featured little brown boys and girls, and coming up with the same handful of titles. So they combined their experience in writing, marketing and art direction and launched Just Us Books in 1988 to publish children’s books that celebrate the diversity of Black history, culture and experiences.

From the start the company was dedicated to ensuring that these books would be available throughout the year—not just during Black History Month; to providing a creative venue for talented Black writers, illustrators, designers and other professionals; and most importantly to inspiring, encouraging and educating young people through reading by offering books with characters, stories and themes that reflected their lives as young Black people.

Although some in the publishing industry doubted there was a viable market for Black-interest books for children, the Hudsons, other Black parents, and many educators and librarians knew there was. Just Us Books proved it when the company’s first titles, AFRO-BETS ABC Book, AFRO-BETS 123 Book and Book of Black Heroes from A to Z, became top sellers. Most of Just Us Books’ early customers were Black parents, teachers, librarians, sorors, church leaders and other community members who saw the Hudsons’ vision and shared their mission.

This year, Just Us Books celebrates its 20th anniversary, and we need your support more than ever. The publishing industry and retail climate has changed since 1988. And thanks in part to the Hudsons’ pioneering efforts, more Black-interest books for children are being published and sold. But there’s still a lot more work to do.

• We still need to ensure that what our young people are reading reflects the diversity of our experiences as a people—not just one aspect of our culture or reinforcements of racial stereotypes.
  
• We still have to push for Black-interest books to be included in our classroom curricula, both in majority Black schools and schools with more diverse populations.
  
• We need to see more Black children's books on shelves at major retailers, local bookstores, libraries, and homes.
  
• We also need to make sure that books that uplift, promote healthy self-esteem, offer hope and positive role models for our young people are available.
  

If you agree that there’s still much more progress to be made, Just Us Books asks that you support our efforts in the following ways:

1) Register at http://www.justusbooks.com/

2) Buy books from the Just Us Books online store. (The holidays are right around the corner and books make great gifts.)

3) Ask for our books at your local bookstores.

4) Encourage your schools, churches, libraries and community organizations to buy our books, and participate in our programs including our book fair fund-raisers and author visits.

5) Encourage young people to participate in our programs, such as our new writing contest for elementary school students that celebrates Black fathers and the Million Man March.

“Many people have told us that Just Us Books has become an institution,” say Wade and Cheryl Hudson. “We humbly accept that honor, with thanks to God and tremendous gratitude for all the people who have supported us through the years.”

Twenty years in business is a great accomplishment for any company, particularly a Black owned business. As Wade and Cheryl can attest, the combined efforts of a few people can make a big difference. So please do what you can to support Just Us Books as the company celebrates 20 years of publishing great Black-interest books for all children.

Thank you.
Just Us Books

A Note of Thanks

There are so many people who have helped us over the years. We thank our parents, Wade Hudson, Sr. and Lurline Hudson, and Hayes and Lillian Willis for providing a firm foundation that made it easier for us to embark on this journey. It is a foundation built on faith, love, service, responsibility, commitment, and a firm belief in hard work.

We thank the many people who have served on our staff over the years, especially Willie Hudson, director of sales, and Major Hudson, shipping manager, for their support, hard work and dedication. Both Willie and Major have been with Just Us Books almost from the beginning.

We thank owners and operators of Black book stores and individual vendors who carried our booksand sold them in stores, at street fairs and conferences and other events. We thank our family and friends and Imani church family for their loveand support. We thank parents, teachers, librarians, and children for buying our books and encouraging us with warm wishes. We thank our talented authors and illustrators who have worked with us tirelessly to create authentic stories and images that resonate with our community and reflect our heritage and our history. We thank all of our volunteers and interns who are always willing to help in any waythey can.

Last but not least, we thank our children Katura and Stephan. They have been on this journey with us since they were little. Both hold important positions at Just Us Books and in other projects we have undertaken. They were and will continue to be our inspiration. They are also integral parts of the legacy we will leave. This legacy links us to the past, the present and thefuture.

What started with us as a mission has become a ministry and we know we've demonstrated that good books do make a difference. Frederick Douglasssaid it even more succinctly:

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.

From 1988-2008 has been twenty years! That's a long time and the road hasn't always been a smooth one. But we love what we do and we thank God for the gift of this ministry of encouraging, enlightening, informing and empowering young people through books.

Wade and Cheryl Hudson

founders and owners

Just Us Books, Inc.

October 25, 2008

Announcing Just Us Books' 20th Anniversary Children's Book Fair

On Saturday, Oct. 25, Just Us Books will celebrate its milestone 20th anniversary with a children’s book fair celebration. The event will be held from 11 am to 3 pm at the Whitlock/Lane Cultural Center of Imani Baptist Church, located at 117 Elmwood Ave. in East Orange, NJ.

New York Times best-selling author, Omar Tyree, author of Just Us Books' newest release 12 Brown Boys, a collection of short stories that focus on the lives of pre-teen boys, will be the featured author. The book fair will also feature other celebrated children’s book authors and illustrators who will be available to autograph copies of their books purchased at the event.

Just Us Books’ 20th anniversary is not just a celebration of our success as a company. It’s a proud recognition of 20 years of children reading, learning, growing, and affirming Black heritage, heroes and culture. We’re proud to celebrate this important milestone in our history with our community and our many supporters and hope to see you there.

For more information, visit http://www.justusbooks.com/ or e-mail info@justusbooks.com

Why Multicultural Literature is Good for All Children, by Cheryl Willis Hudson

The concept of "multicultural literature" can present challenges to mothers and fathers who want to raise well-rounded children prepared to function in the 2008 global village. How does a well-intentioned parent find and select good books for his/her children? What kinds of stories affirm that child's place on the planet? Folk tales? Fairy Tales? Nonfiction? Biography? What kinds of picture books prepare children for the complex world in which they live? What kinds of stories open a window of possibilities for that child's future? What kinds of books help children to dream of a better world for all peoples? Can books help us to make new friends and know our current neighbors? Must other races and creeds be represented for a book to be truly multicultural? What specific titles should form the core of a child's personal library?

Publishers, librarians, booksellers, educators, and parents (in particular) of all philosophies, budgets and ethnicities play important roles in this conversation. Since books provide a conduit of exposure to people, places and worlds both similar and different from our own, it makes sense to expose our children to books that embrace a diversity of cultures, interests, values, nationalities, and hues, right?

When I was a child growing up in segregated schools in Virginia, none of my school books contained "colored children" who looked or acted like me. The main public library in our town was not open to "Negroes" as we referred to ourselves at that time, and all of the "good" books--meaning new ones--were there. The "colored" library was a tiny cramped space that contained mostly used and discarded books. Why then would any child want to read them?

When I became a parent I was determined that my children have a collection of wonderful books. And yes, like many parents I believe that seeing and experiencing diversity in children's literature is a good thing. But how can a parent know what is good? What is fair? What is authentic? What is stereotypical? What is to be avoided?

This space is dedicated to exploring how children's literature can inform our world--how effective presentation of the written word and visual images can help us as parents to guide our children toward empowerment and discovery of their inner selves and their ultimate possibilities. This space is dedicated to exploring diversity in children's literature and to finding ways to get good books in the hands of children for their information and their joy.

Why is multicultural literature important? Here's my top ten list:

1. Multicultural literature confirms that we live in a global village and that the world is pluralistic and made up of many different kinds of people.

2. It helps to develop self esteem in all children through inclusion rather than exclusion.

3. It provides knowledge and information about people from all parts of the world.

4. It can change the way students look at their own particular society and the world by offering varying perspectives or different ways of viewing the same situations.

5. It can promote/develop an appreciation for diversity.

6. It can help children think critically and to ask questions.

7. Like all literature, it can provide enjoyment and appreciation for unity and variety in the human experience.

8. It can reflect the cultural diversity within the classroom and community

9. It can provide positive role models.

10. It can create a bridge between student's real-life experiences and intellectual learning.

Why is multicultural literature important to you and the children in your life? We welcome your thoughts. And be sure to check future posts for book recommendations, tips on how to encourage the children in your life to read, and suggestions on what to look for when selecting multicultural literature.

What Are You Doing to Make a Difference?

With the upcoming presidential election, media attention, including the CNN special "Black in America," and numerous town hall meetings about the state of Black America etc., there is a lot of open discussion about the challenges we're facing in the Black community. And many of these challenges-- increasing violence, gang and drug involvement, academic achievement gaps, high incarceration rates--involve our youth.

But we know there are a lot of people in our communities who are working hard to try to address these tough issues. For example:

Say It Loud! Readers and Writers Series, provides Little Rock teens with activities designed to enhance their appreciation for literature as a tool for personal, educational and career development.

YOUTHOUTCRY Foundation, Inc., is a Newark-based organization that hosts traveling youth power summits, among other programs

Chicago’s Black Star Project, which provides educational services that help pre-school through college students succeed academically

Cleveland, Ohio’s Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, sponsor of initiatives including the Youth Employment Program, which helps youth ages 16-21 enter the work force and the Youth Re-Entry Program, which provides life skills training, physical and mental health and other services for formerly incarcerated youth.

And there’s our own non-profit, the Knowledge is Power Project, which sponsors book donations, writing contests, author visits, workshops for parents and teachers, and other programs that support our goal of educating, empowering and inspiring youth through reading.

Just Us Books was founded 20 years ago with the mission using children's books to make a positive different in the lives of our young people. We want to use the first post of the JUB blog as a forum to highlight the many good things that you--parents, teachers, mentors, schools, churches, non-profit organizations--are doing in support of our youth. Let's take this opportunity to share the good news, exchange ideas, suggestions, ask questions and support each other. Tell us: What are you doing to make a difference?