Blood at the Root

by LaDarrion Williams

But I must pose a question: Is it that Black boys don’t read or that Black boys are just not interested in reading whatever is put in front of them?

If you have young Black men constantly reading about white main characters, specifically white privileged male characters, that don’t reflect their identity or that they simply don’t relate to, it’s going to make them reluctant to read.

Black boys surely deserve stories filled with magic, wonder, and warm summer rain.

Their skin is black as midnight. All of them. Beautiful Black skin wrapped in glory and frustration like stars in the inky, dark sky.