Join LILRC as we welcome author Wade Hudson to discuss his new book, Invincible, Fathers & Mothers of Black America (Calkins Creek, September 12, 2023).

This lyrical picture book explores the birth of Black America, focusing on the little-known men and women who fought for justice and for an America where freedom truly rang for all.

We’re familiar with the founding fathers of white America, but who are the founding fathers (and mothers!) of Black America? In a poetic narrative of the origins of Black America, acclaimed Black author and publisher Wade Hudson teaches us about the little-known men and women who had a profound effect on the history of the nation. Black America was built by brave pioneers—men and women taken from Africa, who suffered and struggled to build a country, a culture, and institutions. Emphasizing that freedom didn’t ring for all when the United States gained its independence from Great Britain, Hudson shows the slow process by which Black Americans fought for justice over the course of many generations. Ending with a call to consciousness and to action, Invincible is a powerful, informative, and inspiring account of a history that deserves to be better known.

PRAISE FOR INVINCIBLE, FATHERS & MOTHERS OF BLACK AMERICA

“With admiration and unflinching detail, the author explores the early years of Black America…Hudson’s text is lyrical and lively, and the unique focus on the early years of creating what is now known as Black America results in a welcome addition to children’s bookshelves…A solid offering affirming Black American identity.” —Kirkus Reviews

“In straightforward prose laced with reverence and pride, Hudson offers the reader this ode, this manifesto, that celebrates the forefathers and foremothers of Black America, honoring all that has been and all that is to come. A must-have addition to every library.” —Renée Watson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, The 1619 Project: Born on the Water

‘Wade Hudson has plumbed the past to present a pantheon of African American pioneers, and he has restored them to their rightful place among our country’s founding fathers and mothers. Now, Black children will know the greatness of their ancestors who fought for freedom and overcame seemingly insurmountable odds. And all children will be introduced to overlooked activists and achievers who helped shape this nation and its values.”—Carole Boston Weatherford, Coretta Scott King Award winner, author of Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

ABOUT WADE HUDSON

Wade Hudson is an author, a publisher, and the president and CEO of Just Us Books, Inc., an independent publisher of books for children and young adults. He has published over thirty books, including the anthologies We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, which received four starred reviews; The Talk, which earned four starred reviews and was a New York Times Best Book of the Year; and Recognize: Black Lives Matter. These powerful collections were co-edited with his wife, Cheryl Willis Hudson. He also authored the middle grade memoir Defiant: Growing Up in the Jim Crow South, winner of the Malka Penn award.

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