In truth, the whole concept of identifying people and characters (in stories) by their color is ridiculous, but human history is defined by its absurdity. The problem is: if we were to capitalize Black, we would have to capitalize White, and that is I believe in what you're saying, and have had this same discussion with some of my editors. (I found myself debating this point with the publishers to no avail.) Throughout history, we have been labeled many things and when we were referred to as Black to define the race, I've always felt as a matter of respect it should be capitalized. So it's come full-circle for me, as a child once-enthralled by black performers, now writing more deeply about their struggles and successes for a new generation.ĭuring the time I was working on this book I was bothered by the fact that in referring to the people in the book, as Black, the b was written in lower case. After becoming a psychotherapist, my sensitivity to injustice and love of music led directly to writing about these subjects for children. Growing up, I felt a kinship with black music and stories (James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, jazz, R'n'B), which eventually led to a passion for the blues (on electric guitar) and the work of Jimi Hendrix. Watching people like Louis Armstrong and Pearl Bailey on TV with my grandmother, I not only took in the music, but the genuineness and depth of feeling that I saw. Most importantly, she had great respect for people regardless of their race or religion, and communicated to me a powerful sense of justice.Īs an only child, I was inward and drawn to the arts, identifying as an outsider from an early age. She was a devoted reader, and personally knew many popular singers of the time. Where does this come from?Ĭharlotte, I'm so glad that someone finally asked me this question after so many years (and books)! In short, I grew up with my grandmother, an immigrant from Italy (at age 8) who believed strongly in both education and the arts. Gary, I've noticed in this and other books that you have written you seem to have a sensitivity to the plight of minority races. So, with admiration, I will hand over my blog to them today to talk about this amazing book. Happily, we both thought it would be most interesting to you if he and the illustrator, Charlotte Riley-Webb interviewed each other about it. Gary Golio has visited before, and I absolutely flipped over his latest book, Strange Fruit.
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