As a writer and advent reader, I’ve spent years learning about how our stories move through generations, and I’ve learned that storytelling has always been one of our greatest tools for survival and joy. Long before we had libraries or classrooms, we had porches, living rooms, and laps. We had elders who could turn a simple moment into a lesson. We had tales that carried our history, our humor, our warnings, and our dreams. And even now, with tablets and apps and AI reading assistants everywhere, nothing replaces the feeling of a book in a child’s hands.

Physical books slow the world down just enough for a child to breathe. They give the mind room to wander, to imagine, to question. When a child flips a page, they’re not just moving through a story—they’re practicing patience, curiosity, and focus. And for Black children especially, books become mirrors and windows. Mirrors that show them they matter. Windows that show them what’s possible.

In our community, storytelling has always been more than entertainment. It’s how we’ve kept our culture alive. It’s how we’ve passed down traditions, values, and identity. When a Black child reads a book about characters who look like them, speak like them, or come from families like theirs, something powerful happens. They see themselves as heroes. As thinkers. As creators. They learn that their voice belongs in the world.

And when those stories are shared out loud—when a parent reads to a child, or a grandparent tells a tale from their own childhood—that’s when the magic deepens. That’s when storytelling becomes a bridge between generations. I’ve seen children sit at the feet of elders, listening with their whole bodies, absorbing not just the words but the rhythm, the emotion, the love behind them. Those moments strengthen family bonds in ways no screen ever could.

In 2026, our children are growing up in a world that moves fast and doesn’t always make space for them to simply be children. They’re exposed to news, images, and pressures that can weigh on their spirits before they even understand what they’re feeling. Books offer a kind of refuge. A place where they can explore big emotions safely. A place where they can practice problem‑solving through characters who face challenges and find their way through.

I’ve watched children learn empathy from stories. I’ve watched them learn courage. I’ve watched them learn how to ask questions, how to imagine new worlds, how to dream beyond what they see. And I’ve watched families grow closer when they make reading a shared ritual—bedtime stories, Saturday morning library trips, or even just ten quiet minutes together on the couch.

There’s also something deeply cultural about holding onto physical books. They become heirlooms. A book signed by a parent. A book passed down from an older sibling. A book with worn edges because it was loved so much. These objects carry memory. They remind our children that they come from a lineage of storytellers, thinkers, and dreamers.

And yes, technology has its place. Digital tools can support learning, open access, and spark interest. But they should never replace the intimacy of reading a book together or the grounding presence of a story told face‑to‑face. Our children need both, but they especially need the kind of storytelling that roots them in who they are.

In a time when the world often tries to define Black children before they can define themselves, storytelling becomes a form of protection. A way of saying, “Here is who you are. Here is where you come from. Here is what you can become.” And physical books become the vessels that carry those truths.

So yes, in 2026, our children still need books they can hold. They need stories that honor their culture, spark their imagination, challenge their minds, and strengthen their spirits. They need the sound of our voices reading to them. They need the warmth of our presence beside them. They need the stories that remind them they are part of something bigger—something beautiful, something powerful, something deeply Black.

And as a community, we need to keep telling those stories. We need to keep passing them down. Because when we strengthen the imagination of our children, we strengthen the future of our people.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.

The mentor knows your spiritual goals, life goals, and career goals. Sometimes this person assists as mentor to all those areas, and of course it could be individuals for each area. She is who we go to for direction, and for knowledge of how to move ourselves from one point in our journey to the next. She knows our strengths and weaknesses and helps us grow in strength and diminish weaknesses. There is confidence that must be kept because often times you are an open book to your mentor. It is imperative that this Sistah does not envy you, is not jealous of you, does not see you as a threat, and does not diminish you. And in like fashion you should not have a mentor you are envious of, jealous of, or see as a threat. Trust is important because at some point this person will know you enough to do as much harm as she does good towards you.

Far too often when we find a sistah that can actually mentor us and can understand who we are there is an excitement and an ease that comes over us. We feel that we are not alone as we push forward towards our goal. There is a camaraderie amongst sistahs, and we not only trust our mentor, but we will stand with them and defend them fiercely. This is a beautiful relationship amongst Black women and has gotten many of us through degree programs, through loss & trauma, and helped us situate self in our spiritual walk.

It is important that we choose our mentor wisely. For as influential and positive as this relationship can be…it can be equally, if not more, destructive. If you find yourself in a situation whereby you mentor sistah is experiencing trauma it is natural to want to stand by her side and be there for her. However, if she begins to lash out causing you to bare the brunt of her anger and hurt you might need to step back. If you find that in the pain and abuse she is enduring envy seeps in, it is important to notice this and re-evaluate the nature of the relationship. You would know something is off if she once kept you mindful of your goals, and now she advises in a way that will stagnate you or set you back. You may experience micro-aggression as things are said to you that make you feel inferior while she appears to be empowered. There can also be gaslighting and more belittling under the guise of corrective criticism and wisdom. In worse cases, especially where academia and spiritual matter are involved, you may be led to view yourself as less and even subservient to the mentor. These are just a few warning signs that you need to remove yourself.

No mentor relationship is perfect as we are all human. However, you must choose this person wisely knowing that they will not harm you when they face their worst. You must want to see each other win. It’s easy to say, but too many Sistahs are in dangerous competition with each other for various reasons. Regardless of the reason, it harms the women involved, the women that witness, and the next generation coming. Be mindful of how all parts of your sistah circle is assembled and be sure you are not the toxic in the circle either.  We must mentor and walk with each other in love and support. When one of us rises all of us rise.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.

It is a terrible feeling to come to the conclusion that you feel like an outsider with no community…no family. Regardless of if that is the fact of the matter technically, the reality of how you feel takes center stage. The world is smaller, and no lover requires transportation to constitute a sense of community. What you need for social validation, and a sense of community whereby you are truly seen and understood might the virtual.

Some of us grew up in a world whereby community was based on experience and proximity to the people we considered a part of said community. It may not have just been our neighborhood…but the city, state, or region we lived in. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. We are more spread out whether it was to go to college and we never move back, jobs move us to another part of the country, or natural disasters displace us. For many reasons we no longer live in our bubble. Another thing to consider is we can be among each other physically, but we no longer align. In this instance relationships are being held together by blood, obligation, trauma, and even love.

Nevertheless, this is no longer your village in a supportive common ground’s basis. Too many of us live in this reality and it gives place to mental and physical health issues as we are merely existing but not living. In this space you can be surrounded by people that know of you but do not know you…you are isolated and alone.

Though we can be leery of it, technology does have its assets. Through social media many of us engage with others and the issues of our communities and country. Because of technology, the world is much smaller. There is a virtual community for just about everything for just about everyone. Before you speak against it remember once upon a time there were those leery of a telephone, a TV, a computer. As time went on, how we interacted with each other evolved. Though you should do so carefully one should consider interacting with the world. You will find there are people you can talk to about life and living that are outside of your community physically, but in terms of values and interests they are your village. Family might take on a new meaning as it can become more than blood and close proximity to you. This means we don’t have to be alone; we just have to be willing to get out into creation in a different form.

Its okay to be apprehensive. However, you are living in isolation when there are options. This is where we might want to be less stubborn. There are people who will genuinely bond with you and should up for you when they have never met you in person a day in their life. They might be across the world from you. However, they talk with you, engage in hobbies with you, sit on video chat with you when you are in distress, some have helped you making sure you had enough money to eat or keep the utilities on, they remember your birthday and genuinely care about your wellbeing. Just as you aren’t a crazy person on the internet there are others out there just as sane. I was playing a game on Xbox, and the game has a pretty tight community. One of the gamers passed away and in the community’s way we mourned her and honored her life as we knew it. Even though many of us never met her in person she mattered to us all. It may be time to consider that your community might be virtual, especially when you can’t move around much, or your current community is toxic to you. Allow yourself to have a chance to interact with people that will value you…even if they are far away.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

Furthermore, one can argue there is more to facilitating marriage than just the ceremony and signing the documents. Getting ordained as a minister can be a step in the direction of starting a church, building a congregation and having people that look to you for spiritual council and leadership. While this is happening there are conversations being has now about the order of our services, how the Word is being taught, what the church’s responsibilities are withing community…and if the church is still a valid institution. It’s hard to have these conversations when someone can just hop online and decide to be ordained without training. Its understand able that this is liberating to some, but it can be dangerous for the masses as ordination is a serious matter.

Marriage is something  that is being re-defined, but the nature of it for many have not changed. It is still seen as a covenant steeped in commitment,  love, and longsuffering. Many are still marrying and fighting for those marriages daily. Marriage counselors in the faith and within the mental health industry are needed to help navigate the nuances and difficulties of marriage for so many. The church use to be a place people would go when they needed guidance for their marriage when hardships arise, and before the marriage. Usually the pastor that does the marriage counseling might be the pastor presiding over the nuptials. This is not something random…depending on the faiths of the couple they would want their minister to understand the spiritual ramifications of marriage. This is difficult when the person presiding does not have that background. They might be able to offer logical advice but can it be considered sound spiritually. This is not to say it can’t happen…but one can argue more should be involved than just an online piece of paper.

Once could ask what of the Justice of the Peace. Well, that is a judge presiding over the legal aspects of a marriage. There is no counselling, and no expectation of such…there is no spiritual culture involved. Going to the Justice of the Peace is purely legal. The judge is certified and their area to perform the ceremony. The credentials and expectation check out. Whereas this might not be the case if someone is just performing marriages with no knowledge base. The responsibilities of a judge are understood from the beginning.

One can argue we need to have more care given in church for those who are called to ministry. It can be said that too many are in positions they are not called for, and there are two many on the pew that should be ministering to the people. The nepotism and clique behavior in church ministry…the politics of it is something that has to be looked at and addressed honestly. It is something that the congregation is going to have to take a stance about. Not only does it lead to poor leadership, but it can open the door for what we are seeing in the sense that some feel its better to just get an online ordination verse having to be taught or go through any process. When the call to ministry becomes unfair…the call itself can be misused.

Becoming an ordained minister is about more than performing marriages. The responsibilities are deep and necessary within a congregation. There has to be a change within the church as the culture of it is at risk. The faith is riddled with problematic issues that could be addressed if God and the people were the focus. That is also a part of the responsibilities of ministry…do you care for the people of God. Are you ministering to the youth, caring for the elderly, caring for the ill, caring for the widows…being a beacon of light for our community? All of this is more than just a marriage ceremony, but it call comes with the title of ordained minister.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

“When terrible things happen to us, we must choose how to move forward in the aftermath; but it’s not always clear which paths are the “right” ones, because morality is almost always gray. Countless people of color have had and continue to have to find a way to push forward in the wake of blatant and consistent denial of our right to exist in peace and equality.”

Spiritual culture in the book was not overused, nor out of place. It didn’t overshadow the story, though it is deeply involved in the plot it is woven in as a part of a strong culture. Black family, and society is at the very heart of this book. How relationships respond to betrayal, disrespect, lies, deceit, and the stealing of one’s rights. The reader is immediately drawn to the main characters, and it is easy to identify with them. Many of us will see our family members through the characters and relate to the different challenges and pain they encounter. You will find yourself deeply hating some, cheering for others, and having to give grace in spaced you don’t want to.

“The blessing was an easy ritual, only requiring blessed water and a sincere prayer to the ancestors under the light of the moon.”

The author masterfully crafted this story and how the systemic racism of white people is a constant battle and threat to black culture and community. In this the story felt very personal to me as this battle in New Orleans continues even to this day. We are constantly in a fight for our culture and city, and in that fight far too many times our families are deeply damaged. This is woven through the narrative well.

“A person’s worth is not tied to their ability to conceive, nor are they obliged to pop out children to serve the patriarchy. Lenora Savant is undeniably on of the Black people Harriet Tubman would’ve shot.”

This book was an emotional ride that will leave the reader ready for book two, without making them feel too much was unresolved. We got enough closure to be satisfied. I laughed, cried, was angry, and felt the need to cuss at times right along with the character. I highly recommend this story for book clubs, community conversations through narrative, and purely for enjoyment. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

“I smile despite myself, but it fades fast. “I still can’t believe all this mess started thirty years ago because a white lady couldn’t deal with someone telling her no.”

“Blood Debts” can be found at your local bookstore, Amazon, and anywhere books are sold.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.

Unfortunately, fangirl behavior can cloud reality when this space becomes how all of life is coped with. For some when life gets hard watch your favorite K-drama…when depressed turn on BTS. I can definitely understand why one would do it; I admit if my morning is rough BTS is a happy encouraging go too. They have been a wonderful addition to my current playlists. However, some of us tend to overlook issues regarding race and racial appropriation when they happen. Furthermore, in this new found love of Korean men…we end up trashing Black men without cause. We can love the culture and its entertainment while still being honest about the state of the world and keeping our identity.

While I love cultures, I tend to stay away from artists that commit the appropriation crimes. If there is an issue whereby there is true ignorance, and that artist does the work to be better humans and that is reflected in their medium of art…I can forgive. However, the blatant appropriation with no regard to the feelings of the people that support your work is unacceptable. We need to be fair in this. If the behavior is in appropriate and disrespectful when we are dealing with White people…then it is the same for People of Color all over the world. If we are not fair across the board, we are sending a message that it is okay for some to not value our culture…this will never be okay as it further chips at respect. I for one am not a Black Pink fan for this very reason…I can’t abide the constant appropriation issue with what looks like no intention to fix the disrespectful behavior. Even if it’s your favorite artist and you choose to continue listening, it is important to be honest about the problematic situation. It’s known that even amongst our artists there are those that choose to separate the music from the individual. However, some of them can admit the individual is toxic and a terrible person. The same situation applies to other groups if you choose to keep listening.

It is important to understand yes there are those that are racist within the groups of whose culture you love. If you go visit those cultures, you may have encounters that remind you of this trust. No, it is not everyone…but again this is about being honest. We cannot equate all the people of a particular group to just what we see in the art of a few. This must also be considered when looking at men. Every Korean man is not the actor you love in the K-dramas. The idea that other groups of men are automatically better than Black men as a whole is a dangerous false narrative to feed yourself. There is good and bad in every group yes but remember this when you scold Black Men for this position regarding other groups of women. If you like what you like there is no need to drag Black men into that. Black men know our plight better than others because they too live it…this is still the truth.

Enjoy engaging in other cultures and meeting the people. Enjoy the art forms if they make you happy. I absolutely love music from all over the world, and it is the same with film & TV for me. However, I am not so far off into any fan girl behavior that I forget who I am, and the truth of the world I live in. These two things can exist in the same safe and both of them be true.

Staff Writer; Chelle’ St James

May also connect with this sister via Twitter; ChelleStJames.

“Even a carpetbagger can’t sneer at any undertaking we women might fashion for ourselves. Vigorous as we are, quick to whistle when drowning but not to worry: we’re xerophytic and not easily lost as a yacht, its tiny flags flailing, the see color of zirconium, or some other form of divination.”

Every concern we face as Black women that stem from our ability to survive, the questioning of our worth, the relationship to each other and our children, wo we are, and what we deserve are all addressed here. The poet carefully addresses these spaces using history, and words that make us pause think and digest. This is not a book that is fully understood in one read. It comes to you more every time you engage in the text. The reader will keep coming back because the text literally calls to you.

“The body isn’t an allegory­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­—history doesn’t fail, we fail history while raptors’ faces hover in the storm”

The form of the verses is free and continual like moving waters. There isn’t the traditional punctuation and stops that come with periods…the format looks like an example of what we should be. Every poem is not formatted the same. There should be authenticity and bold individuality among us as there is in the presentation of the collection.

“Till the old junk man Death plants your feet in the cool swamp mud shake your brown feet, honey. Stay awake all night with loving or be a woman in the doorway.”

Lynne Thompson held our hand as she navigated us through our origins and pains of what it means to be a Black woman especially here in America. There are reminders that we must live as much as we work, and my favorite part…that we deserve love and to be loved on through our bodies at every age our body will see. This body of work is important to the strength and healing of Black women specifically, and then all who encounter it. This is a great book for sister circles, and for women to share with the different generations of women within their family. This is a poetry book that I want to read with my mother and sisters. It is one I highly recommend as it is an answer to the needs of our heart, and affirmation desires of our soul.

“Allow yourself everything, especially those things you have stored on a shelf, saying that’s not for me or I’m not able.”

“Blue On A Blue Palette” can be found at your local bookstore, Amazon, and anywhere books are sold.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.

“Only those who remain free in spirit will find their way out of this maze. But we are children of the stars, and we ought to amaze.”

There is something for every reader in this book. Ben Okri weaves words across time spaces and cultures that allow us to feel the beauty and depth of his words. There is love, growth, self-awareness, pain, loss and all of it is crafted in a manner that causes the reader to ask questions. Though there in-depth complexity in the poetry it is not so much so that it would discourage a reader.

“Belief should rest on what we know. What we know rests on what we sow. Truth will endure all tests.”

This is a book that would be great for poetry circles, and poetry introductions. There is literally something for every reader at every reading level. I found myself comforted by the piece Ben Okri dedicated to his father…even though it was written from a son to father perspective I found it touching when thinking about the loss of my own father. This is a book you will want to re-read at different times as life happens. It reminds the reader of how amazing they are, and yet how much more can be accomplished. It has reminders of how important love is as we move through this thing called life. You will experience every emotion when you need it. “Wild” is a gift that will continue to give. Ben Okri has given us several poetry books that were special, but this one is in a league of its own. Youth reading groups would benefit from being exposed to this poetry book. It can help them work through their different feelings and challenges, allowing them to feel seen through the text. This is one of the great aspects of reading. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

“We have to create order out of the chao we find. And the order of the ancients is part of that chaos too. We can’t find a clear way through it. What was clear and straight to them is not so clear and straight to us.”

“Poets pray to the goddess of surprise: love is seduced by change, itself unchanging. Time, serene, remains indifferent to our iron will, our willed philosophies.”

“Wild” can be found at your local bookstore, Amazon, and anywhere books are sold.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.

“Often when I hear “How are you?” I am overcome with blind rage. My throat gets tight, my heart races, I feel hot behind my eyes, and my jaw clenches with the hopes of muzzling a response that will require an apology once this fit of anger passes.”

From appearance one would never know that Kerry Washington has struggled through her teenage years while fighting to perfect perfectionism. We would never think she encountered so many of the same issues we face with communication and openness within her own family. The internal issue of the question, “how are you?” is something so many of us encounter but may have never thought to express openly. As she battles to find balance, acceptance, and honesty within self she allows the reader to safely engage with themselves regarding the same issues. Sometimes you don’t understand how much or how quickly you are sinking until someone shows you through their battle to reach the surface.

“How are you? Who are you? What do you want? How do you feel? I have struggled with these questions for a long time because these questions have been unimaginably difficult for me to answer. “

Kerry Washington wrote a book that is laidback, down to earth, and engaging. Though it is about her life, she makes you want to keep reading. You want to know more about her, you want to know how she resolves her conflicts, more importantly you will find yourself cheering for her to be okay.

“People-pleasing and perfectionism were still signature parts of my personality – the shapeshifting I’d learned as a child had created in me a desire to get it “right” instead of digging for the unknown.”

This book is important especially for Black woman. She centers herself…her womanhood, and her Blackness throughout the journey and it is why this book feels so relatable as a Black woman. It will allow us to come together in our sister circles and discuss the journey we are on…and how we are relating to the “water” we find ourselves wading in. It gives us a way to look at self, and even our name, and decide what parts of us are open to others…and what part of us is reserve solely for self. This is necessary to balance self against ever space by which we reside.

I first fell in love with Kerry Washington as an actress when she played the feisty yet brutally honest sister in “Save The Last Dance”. I have been a fan of her career ever sense, however I feel in reading her book I was allowed to be introduced to the woman, and I am cheering for her. There is something for everyone in this book, but it is definitely a gem for Black women.

“Thicker Than Water” can be found at your local bookstore, on Amazon, and anywhere books are sold.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.

When we turn on the news and see our children dying in the streets, and being unlawfully handled by law enforcement we are ready to cry out…but our kids are not prepared for the reality of the world we life in. The bottom line is we must teach our children. It is a labor of love, it is repetitive, on many days you will be exhausted, and it will require you to get YOU together because yes they hear you…but more importantly your kids are watching you.

Let me clear, this is not about abusing children, and that has to be stated as that is far too often where the conversation goes when the issue of structure is brought up. Some of us are so caught up in not wanting to be the previous generation we refuse to acknowledge that in some areas they did get it right…and in some areas we are failing. The inverse is also correct. Wanting children to learn to be independent thinkers, and make wise choices is important. However, that may have to start with you making selections and teaching them how to choose in a safe environment. I can’t allow my four year old to decide what he’s eating for dinner. I can give him options to choose from. He still needs parental oversight as if its left up to him he might try to eat pizza every day, and would be deficient in terms of nutrition. I will not allow him to decide to wear shorts and a t-shirt in 40 degree weather. This might sound like no brainers…but for some reason it is not. Children are taught respect for authority at home [or not] before dealing with the public. There is no way they should treat the parent as though that parent is their servant that they don’t have to heed. We don’t begin teaching these lessons at six an seven…it starts from day one.

Our children are more resilient than we realize. They are not made of glass. They can go to school and be efficient, then come home and have chores that they are consistently responsible for. We are then training a child that can one day take care of themselves while maintaining a job. Everything we do now is building blocks to help them become respectful efficient human beings. Teaching them what they need to know doesn’t mean life will be fair with them…it means they are not on the wrong side of the situation. Life has consequences, so should your home. These are all things that need to be taught. If you find that you need help please reach out to your family, community, church, and various professionals. Yet remember, you know your child, and sometimes you will have to go with your gut.

Children are a 24/7 responsibility. They will learn as you are hands on with them, when you care about their day, when you discipline in love, and when you show up for them. We are teaching them when they watch us make responsible decisions, take a care for our health, say no, get up and go to work, when they see us communicate effectively, and when they realize we don’t ask them to do anything we ourselves don’t walk out before them. They experience us apologizing to them if we get it wrong because we are not perfect. They will be able to recall us telling them about the reality of the world they live in…they might hate to hear us repeat ourselves, but the wisdom will come back to them when they face life challenges. If we want out children to have a better chance at life and living successfully we must roll our sleeves up and parent, and support each other in the effort to parent our children individually and as a community.

Staff Writer; Christian Starr

May connect with this sister over at Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/christian.pierre.9809 and also Twitter; http://twitter.com/MrzZeta.