On the evening of June 23rd, the Northwest African American Museum was full of joy and hope. AHSHAY brought together the inaugural cohort of the Storybook Project, along with their friends and families, to celebrate the publication of the Belonging Collection — 20 new stories written by youth that are proof of what’s possible when youth brilliance is given the space it deserves.

AHSHAY’s director, Dr. Ben Danielson, opened the night by reading from Langston Hughes’ poem I, Too, written exactly 100 years ago. He held it up as a reminder that words travel. That a story told with truth and care has a way of outlasting the moment it was written in. And that what these young people had created carries that same potential.

Youth authors took the stage and talked about their characters, their themes, the ideas they had wrestled with and the ones that had come to them almost by accident. Their books explore a range of themes including anxiety, identity, curiosity, science, belonging, and what it means to see yourself reflected in a story.

Our youth authors received copies of their published books and had the opportunity to talk with guests about their stories and experience in the Storybook Project.

The stories will soon be available for free through Worldreader’s BookSmart app, finding their way to readers across the globe.

Listen to one of the books from the Belonging Collection, read by our youth author Ewan Rosinski: