THE NEW BROWNIES’ BOOK:
Bringing Joy and History to the Next Generation by Emily Webb
A critical piece of history is a monthly periodical published from January 1920 to December 1921. The work of W. E. B. Du Bois, “The Brownies’ Book,” was the first publication created for African American children. Now, 100 years later, this groundbreaking work has been reimagined in an anthology titled “The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families.” The beautiful collection combines art, literature and history for an incredible look at Black life and was compiled by scholar and Emory University professor Karida L. Brown and her husband, artist Charly Palmer. Atlanta Parent spoke to the duo about the importance of this book for Black families and why Black history is relevant to all. How did you discover the original “The Brownies’ Book?” KLB: I was working on an academic book with a co-author and researching the sociology of W. E. B. Du Bois. In his archives, I found a group of letters where he reached out to literati and Harlem Renaissance artists asking them to contribute a piece of their best work for “The Brownies’ Book,” so that Black children could know they were thought about and loved. I wanted to know, what is this book? I fell in love with it. Du Bois was one of the most revered, important, booked and busy intellectuals of his time, but he carved out time in his schedule to create this book because he thought this much of Black children.
acrylic, collage; the breadth of the artistic value is remarkable. It opens worlds up to children and other family members to start having conversations. We as Black people, as Black creatives, as Black intellectuals, are not bound by anything. CP: We built it as a family book. You are never too old or too young to go after your dreams. I don’t consider myself a writer, but I had stories to tell. Our youngest artist was 18 at the time of contributing, and the youngest writer was 4.
How does connecting art with history make it more accessible? CP: Art is a cultural experience. There is something there for everyone. These are representations of us from a visual standpoint. We’re dealing with life and death, dealing with funny stories. There are fantastic stories from the original 1920-21 issues, and 100 years later, we’re still talking about these things and emphasizing these messages. KLB: There is something that is completely timeless about art. It is telling an immortal story about the Black experience. The art is really
What inspired you to bring the project back? CP: One of the messages Du Bois made called to us: for the Children of the Sun to know that they are loved. There could never be enough of us reminding our children that they are loved and encouraged. We wanted to emphasize and reiterate that message.
Why is this an important resource for Black children and families? KLB: It’s so beautiful and fun. It is 208 pages of broad representation of the literary and artistic canon from plays to poetry to editorial. There’s abstract art, watercolor, 20 Atlanta Parent
February 2024
Butterflies by Charly Palmer
atlantaparent.com