On the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death, we are all pausing to ask. “Has anything changed in the last year?” Each person you ask will have a different answer to this question based on where they have sat in the last year and watched the racial reckoning that has swept the nation. It has been a year that begs more questions than answers. As I start to think about racial problem-solving I think globally. God has given everyone skills, these skills were just given with no test, form, download, or request worksheet necessary. They were just given to everyone at birth. I challenge everyone today to use the skills that God gave them to combat racism. Some people sing others speak publically, some create art, some are good at changing policy, some are involved in the media, some are educators. It will take everyone in our society to change this problem so many different and all skills are needed. Do not discount your skills, they are supreme and so, so needed. Please step up and use your God-given skill to stop the madness. It is more than time. God gave me the gift to write. I never took any classes or watched any YouTube training videos I have just always wrote. Last summer I was deeply depressed by all of the events and adults’ reactions to the events. I decided to leave the adults alone and begin talking to the kids. I thought this audience was an easier sell to have positive race conversations with. I wrote God Made Me Black Because He is Creative and Blackness is Creative as a way to try and intervene. I finished writing the books in August 2020 it has taken me until today 5/25/21 to get both of the books formatted, illustrated, and in publication. I am proud to say that as of today both books are for sale on my website www.juliefederico.com and Amazon. This is my small part to help end racism. These books are the same book I just took God out of the title in Blackness is Creative. I know not everyone is cozy with God and I also wanted to sell the books to public schools. These books are the tip of the iceberg they are not the end of race relations discussion but the beginning. These books are for children ages 18 months and up. They offer young children an important introduction to the topic of race. As children grow you will need to find other more in-depth books. But my books offer a start and are significant to engaging children in the crucial discussion of race. In the book, I tell children things they can do to help end discrimination. I want to gather children and adults together to combat racism. We are stronger together. Conversations of race can be so divisive, I hope to change this. We need to have the strength of the greater community to make an important change. I know this is something everyone can agree on. Discounts are available to agencies and schools for book orders over ten copies. Please join me as we create new chapters for our country.
JULIE FEDERICO
PREVENTION EXPERT, SPEAKER, AUTHOR, TRAINER