Chris Yung Elem. parent leads donation of 35 books to school library in honor of Black History Month

Amanda Whitfield, mother to a Chris Yung Elementary second-grader and member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Historically Black Service Sorority, believes representation has the power to remind us that we are not alone in our experiences. And what better way to show representation than in the books our young children read.

In celebration of Black History Month, Whitfield and her sorority sisters set out to compile a set of books that positively feature main characters who are black. They donated the 35-book collection to the Chris Yung Elementary School library.

“We believe that representation matters,” said Whitfield. “That children of all races, genders, abilities, etc. are empowered when they are able to read stories that feature characters that look like them and share similar backgrounds, and they are further inspired when they read works written by authors who understand their life experiences.”

Some of the donated books were written by University of Virginia alumnae (Whitfield attended UVA), some are biographies, some feature action heroes, and many teach a lesson about persevering through adversity.

Chris Yung Principal Kathy Notyce is thankful for the donation.

“The 35 books will provide students of color many opportunities to see themselves in roles such as educators, presidents, scientists, etc.,” Notyce remarked. “These additional books will be added to our collection and will inspire and motivate all of our students to dream big and believe in themselves.”