What challenges did African-American children’s book authors and illustrators face?
Wade: One of our biggest challenges was breaking the barriers – getting through the doors to present our work and to have it accepted for its authenticity. We had to respond to questions such as, “Is there really a need for an ABC books using only African-American imagery?” or responses from editors who believed it was very difficult to find talent writers and illustrators of color who could produce good stories. Traditional publishers were accustomed to publishing biographies of people such as George Washington Carver and Harriet Tubman and it was difficult to convince them to publish books about realistic, contemporary Black children and their day-to-day experiences. Kelly: What inspired you to create your publishing company? Cheryl: As parents we were always in search of books and learning materials for our children that reflected our culture and history as African Americans. In the late 70s, when our daughter Katura was born, there were a few great titles – Cornrows by Camille Yarb
