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Humanity Through Diversity

One voice cannot speak for all voices. By diversifying our books, we give representation to people from different backgrounds to voice their struggles and their story. Representation in media signifies social acceptance and significance. The absence of people of color in the media has often led to stereotypes and social annihilation in society. In worst cases, we can see it lead to actual death. One can observe this through the various police shootings in society. Media is a powerful tool for socializing someone into society. If one race is shown as a criminal, or as the villain, that is what that person will grow up to learn. While they may not express it explicitly, it will be expressed implicitly. The media sometimes acts as the unconscious mind of society. Who is being represented in the media matters, because it establishes the norms of those in society. It says who the leaders are, and who the criminals are. As certain races are stripped of their complexities, they lose their human qualities. They becoming nothing more than a caricature. Diverse books allow for people of color to become human again. People will no longer see white as the default race in books and media, for people of color to break the binds placed on them by society. Children will finally be able to see there are people like them. Children will also be able to see, they are not just a caricature. They will be to see that they are complex humans, who can be anything they want to be.

The essay is linked above.

The following links contain information about the event:

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Publisher Weekly Article

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Essay Prompt

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Event Information

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Adam Silvera (center), Phoebe Angaye (after Adam), and then Dhonielle Clayton (second from r.), and I.W. Gregorio at the the exclusive We Need Diverse Books/TTBF essay contest reception.

Phoebe was one of the essay winners who won the Texas Teen Book Festival which was hosted with the  We Need Diverse Books in 2017. The event put winners face to face with professionals in the publishing industry in the form of a group discussion. Phoebe (along with other winners) engaged with the hosts about strategies for creating inclusiveness in the publishing world. 

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The short story "How to Be Beautiful," is featured in Best of Sprout: Issue 1; pg 15 above.

The short story Stained can be bought from Canvas Teen Literary Journal linked above.

The short story My Dear Sydney can be read above.

Phoebe Angaye's short story, My Dear Sydney, won her a Silver Key from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

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In 2015, 300,000 works were submitted to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Winning a Silver Key made Phoebe Angaye an alumna among people such as Stephen King and Sylvia Plath. Only the top forty percent receive some recognition.

 

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© 2023 by Phoebe Angaye.
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