Diversity Social at #LA17SCBWI
Did you check out the Diversity Social at #LA17SCBWI? The Diversity Social began with remarks about We Need Diverse Books by Sona Charaipotra, Miranda Paul, and Linda Sue Park, followed by greetings from some of WNDB's founding members and SCBWI faculty support. I loved hearing about the successes of their mentorship programs and advocacy programs -- from partnerships with the Scholastic Book Club to measurable results of WNDB's mentorship program. An attendee asked how they can support diverse authors if they are not from a diverse background. The committee suggested: Buy and read diverse books, and support those authors. Talk about diverse books; promote those authors and their books. Advocate for diverse voices to be represented at events or programming you're involved in. Write and illustrate characters from diverse backgrounds. Pat Cummings asked: do your characters default to a specific ethnicity or background? Mentor with WNDB, if applicable. (generally looking...