Goodreads asked Ahjamu Umi:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Ahjamu Umi Two sources. First, from working with white allies over the years around issues of social justice, I wanted to create a character that would demonstrate to people the healthy and respectful way to support people's self determination. Second, after living in Bend, Oregon, for two years, I was sick of people telling me "I don't see color." They were saying that was there are no people of color in Bend. So, I thought, "what if a large number of people of African descent just showed up here one day?" And the rest evolved into my story.

flag