When I was in seventh grade, a friend recommended I read the book The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas. Later made into a movie, the story shares the heart wrenching tale of the main character Starr Carter who witnesses the shooting of her best friend. Starr is Black, and as a person of color (POC) myself, the story made me aware of how other people of color are treated. 

Today the literature by POC authors creates a sense of diversity around the world. Diverse stories we read are important because they give readers an opportunity to hear different voices and hear different experiences rather than the same tales with generic plots or texts. POC authors give readers an understanding and view of life for people of a different race, ethnicity, or cultural background. This diversity can give readers a better understanding of people around the world. 

In our English classes, we have various stories to read that offer characters with diverse cultural inputs and backgrounds. These viewpoints are important for schools around the world to have because it teaches lessons which students will remember for the rest of their academic career. Being knowledgeable and aware is something important for students to have. 

The stories can also give readers a different view or feel of other people’s struggles and create a sense of care and compassion. POC literature has the ability to allow readers to consider different opinions on many different topics and subjects, and gives readers an understanding of how diverse the world is.  February is Black History Month, and students should use this time as an opportunity to read these diverse stories to learn more about the importance and impact of this month and topic.

It is important for students to start reading these stories so they are more knowledgeable as they grow up. By reading these stories,  students can gain a better understanding of how different people with different races or a different cultural background grow up, and they can better understand how other’s stoaries may differ from their own.

Speakups: What is your favorite book by a POC Author?

Gauri Srinath: One of my favorite authors is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I really love her book Half of a Yellow Sun. It’s an emotional story about colonialism in Nigeria during the 1960s.

Ramani Satishkumar: I like The Hate U Give by Angie Smith. It’s really relevant to the issue of police brutality today and I love how it humanizes the topic.

Speakups by Pallevi Pillai