Thread by @JCASLKY

Last Thursday, JCASL was so blessed to host author @jewell_p_rhodes as its Spring Program co-host & keynote. What a phenomenal evening. She was empowering, charming, inspiring - all of the things. If you couldn't make it, you missed out. A few JPR quotes from the evening...

1/15

"Story is everywhere. Just give it its due. And it is the most profound thing we can do." @jewell_p_rhodes

2/15

"I’m so delighted to be here, in particular teachers and librarians kept me alive when I was growing up because they kept me feeding me books at a time when my spirit was very low... So thank you very much."

3/15

"There’s a lot in terms of visual storytelling that kids can do… & so opening that up & allowing kids to translate their stories, not just into theatre, but also into visual modes & also generating podcasts & questions [and animation]."

4/15

"How to tell a story is exploding, & the more the merrier."

5/15

"Make space for children to lead the way. Just say teach me and they will. And you’ll also teach them what you know. And together you’ll open each other up and make new resources." @jewell_p_rhodes

6/15

"Teach kids about scapegoating. I tell kids, I’m writing books so when you grow up you remember to be as you were when you were a child, and don’t get scared & scapegoat people. But I think that’s what adults are doing right now. And a kid can see it & a kid can reject it."

7/15

"And young people, I think, we need to in the classroom talk about their power, that they have the power to maybe help us move forward." @jewell_p_rhodes

8/15

"I never forget that when I’m writing my stories that these young people are the citizens that in a few short years, they are going to be voting. And I have such hope, & such faith, that they’re going to help make a world that is better than the one we are living in today."

9/15

"You can’t undo wrong, can only do our best to make things right. Particularly for our youth, the idea to make things right, you have to start with yourself - self-love - so that you don’t feel the need to be insecure. Or bully someone else. Or put someone else down."

10/15

"I think bullying can be an extension of racism, with racism being the most severe, in that IF people are content with their own selves, they won’t then step, or belittle, or put their knee on someone else’s throat."

11/15

"In every book I write, you’ll find generally that I show kids... they can sometimes heal their elders, that their elders don’t always get it right." @jewell_p_rhodes

12/15

"But fundamentally, kids need literacy, they need the power of the word." @jewell_p_rhodes

13/15

From the power of voting to bearing witness, the school-to-prison pipeline, the Tulsa Race Massacre, Emmett Till, George Floyd, implicit bias, the writing process, hope in our youth, and so much more - the keynote squeezed so much in. Powerful stuff.

14/15

Not to mention, over $1070 was raised because of @jewell_p_rhodes keynote to buy books for Louisville's Title 1 schools. After such a challenging year, we couldn't end on any higher note. Much thanks to our members, our board, @MisterLibrary, & Jewell for making it happen.

15/15