February 2, 2023
Dear Friend,
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February is already turning out to be a time of deep reflection for us at Book Harvest.
On one hand, we stand beneath the dark clouds that hover over the anguish of Tyre Nichols’ murder, the systemic restrictions declared on AP African American history curriculae and school libraries, and the smoldering frustration over entrenched racial inequities and injustice.
On the other hand, we have seen a glorious rainbow of hope that is possible when people come together with a shared mission of opportunity, access, and humanity. For us, that vision was rekindled on MLK Day this year when more than 2,000 community members across the glorious community of Durham, NC gathered together for our 12th annual Dream Big Book Drive and Community Celebration.
Children and families from every walk of life brought a spirit of generosity to Durham's Golden Belt Campus and donated 65,013 books to share with others across our beloved community. It was an afternoon of joy and connection, of book-loving and book-sharing, and of observation and remembrance of Dr. King’s greatest invocation: to confront the fierce urgency of now by marching together and pursuing justice so that opportunity is available to every child on this earth.
I am so grateful to the Book Harvest community for continuing to show up for our kids and sharing our big dreams: books for every child; support for every parent; literacy for every community.
Standing shoulder to shoulder, side by side, we can lift up – together – Dr. King’s conviction that "the arc of the moral universe is long – but it bends toward justice."
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With gratitude and big dreams,
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Ginger Young,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
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P.S. You can view our 2023 Dream Big Final Report here – including our 56 wonderful sponsors!
P.P.S. Please enjoy this fun video of children being interviewed at Dream Big, as my colleague Bria Davenport asks them two questions: 1) What's your most favorite book in the whole wide world? 2) If you could give advice to someone younger than you, what would you say?
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A Note from Tabitha
Tabitha Blackwell serves as the Executive Director of Book Harvest Durham
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Just four years ago we celebrated ONE MILLION Book Harvest books harvested by children and families. It took 7 years to go from zero to one million, and now we plan to hit TWO MILLION this spring! Currently, 1,933,461 books have been harvested, and the countdown is on. We can't wait to celebrate this spring!
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Words to Live By: Amy Franks
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What are three children's books you think should be on every child's bookshelf?
There are so many great options! I think every child's bookshelf should include Love You Forever so each child, even if they don't experience it in their home, sees an example of what a loving parent-child relationship is...
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Our Featured Five children's books for February acknowledge Black History Month, specifically Black Resistance, which has manifested in many forms historically. Here is a mix of nonfiction & historical fiction picks for February based on that theme.
You can purchase these books and have them shipped directly to Book Harvest. You might also like to have them in your home library! View purchasing options.
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Questions? Email Amy Franks, Associate Director of School and Family Engagement, at amy@bookharvest.org.
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